By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles

Paediatric Specialist Testifies in Trial of David and Collet Stephan

Mar 14, 2016 | 6:17 PM

LETHBRIDGE: The trial of David and Collet Stephan resumed Monday, on charges of failing to provide the necessities of life.

The charge is in connection with the death of their 18-month old son, Ezekiel, who died of bacterial meningitis in 2012. The Crown alleges the Stephans should have got medical care for Ezekiel sooner, as they didn’t call 911 until he stopped breathing.

Doctor Shauna Burkholder took the stand to start the day. She was the paediatric intensivist on-call in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary on the night of March 13, 2012. She was contacted to consult by the Cardston Hospital, and arranged for Ezekiel’s transport to Calgary via STARS Air Ambulance.

After Ezekiel arrived in Calgary, Burkholder said she became concerned that he had suffered, “A very severe and significant brain injury”, as he was not breathing on his own and his pupils were fixed and dilated. She ordered a CAT scan, which showed the brain had been very compressed due to swelling, calling the results “devastating”. She attributed the swelling to meningitis, saying compression on the brain stem stopped his breathing, which then stopped his heart.

When asked about meningitis, Burkholder called it very dangerous, saying the bacterial form is 100-per cent fatal if not treated with antibiotics, and the viral form is “not as life threatening.” She added, “If you suspect meningitis, you should treat immediately.”

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Burkholder stated that in her opinion, by the time they started treatment, Ezekiel had less than a one-per cent chance of survival.

It wasn’t until the next day that Ezekiel would be declared brain dead by two other doctors, but Burkholder stated that he was likely already brain dead by the time she first saw him.

The Crown then asked Burkholder to examine the report from the ambulance that picked up Ezekiel, and went over his vital statistics. When asked what those numbers would mean for a patient, Burkholder responded, “That patient is dead.” She acknowledged that cardiopulmonary death can be reversed and may have been at the Cardston Hospital, but said it is very difficult to save a patient who has had an out of hospital cardiac arrest, especially a child.

Had Ezekiel survived, Burkholder stated that he likely would have suffered “severe neurological impairment”, which would have included developmental delays and likely would have prevented him from being able to take care of himself.

The trial is scheduled to continue into next week.