The family doctor of a woman who died in 1996 from a stroke 17 days after a chiropractic neck manipulation acknowledged to an inquest jury that he was surprised when he learned she had passed away.Dr. Harvey Knapp told the jury he treated Lana Dale Lewis for some 12 years for a variety of medical complaints but saw no symptoms that couldn't be managed with medication.Lewis, 45, the mother of three children, died in September, 1996 after suffering two strokes. She went to Queensway hospital Sept. 1, complaining about dizziness and difficulty seeing. Medical tests showed she'd had a stroke.Lewis was released from the hospital Sept. 6 but collapsed four days later and died Sept. 12. An autopsy attributed her death to a stroke."It's not a normal circumstance to see someone die at that age," Knapp told the jury.He also agreed with Anami Oakley, the lawyer representing the Lewis family, that there was nothing in the medical records he had prepared that showed she was near death.In response to questions from jurors, Knapp said when Lewis was his patient he didn't think she was a candidate for a heart attack or stroke. He added it's unusual for women under 50 to have heart attacks.Knapp did acknowledge that Lewis was prone to high blood pressure, but most of her readings were what he described as "borderline" and not anything that gave him great concern.The inquest continues today.
Legal Notice:- Copyright 1996-2002. Toronto Star Newspapers Limited.
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