Failure to monitor renal impairment

By Dr Ellen Welch, GP

Mr J, a 63-year-old gardener, visited Dr C for his annual health check and routine bloods were requested. Dr A, another GP in the surgery, reviewed the results and noted that Mr J had moderate renal impairment, with an eGFR of 59 ml/min/1.73m2 and he coded Mr J as having chronic kidney disease stage 3.

The laboratory recommended that the blood test should be repeated within the next five days. Dr A assumed that Dr C would follow his patient up since he was the doctor who requested the initial blood tests.

A week later, Mr J was seen again by Dr C. He had a sore finger after pruning some trees, and this was the focus of the consultation. The blood results were not discussed and a repeat test was not mentioned as Dr C assumed that Dr A, as the doctor who reviewed the blood results, would have arranged subsequent testing and follow up.

Six months later, Mr J had an appointment with Dr A regarding his painful osteoarthritis. Naproxen was prescribed and placed on repeat prescription. The patient’s previous blood results were overlooked and a repeat renal function was not requested.

Another year passed and Mr J consulted this time with an episode of diarrhoea and vomiting. Bloods were checked and showed an eGFR of 50 ml/min/1.73m2. The result was recorded by the duty doctor as being consistent with moderate renal impairment, but no further action was taken.

Mr J continued to receive naproxen on repeat prescription for a further two years, and during this time had documented medication reviews by both Dr A and Dr C. He was then reviewed by a locum doctor at the surgery, who noted a degree of renal impairment and stopped the naproxen. Blood tests had not been carried out for a two-year period, so the locum requested a renal function test, which showed a deteriorating eGFR of 44 ml/min/1.73m2. Mr J was referred to the nephrology team for review, and his renal function gradually improved after the naproxen was discontinued.

A claim was brought against Dr C and Dr A for continuing to prescribe naproxen despite evidence of renal impairment, and for failing to monitor Mr J’s renal function, which had an adverse impact on Mr J’s prognosis

Expert opinion

Medical Protection investigated the claim and instructed experts in general practice and nephrology. The GP expert reviewing this case criticised the failure of both doctors to initially recheck Mr J’s renal function in order to confirm or refute a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease. He noted several missed opportunities to act on the abnormal blood results, and was critical of the GPs for prescribing naproxen on a repeat basis without checking Mr J’s renal function initially and at least on an annual basis.
The expert nephrologist considered that although the continued prescription of naproxen was likely to have contributed to Mr J’s deterioration in renal function, most of the kidney damage occurred prior to the medication being commenced. He agreed that Mr J should have undergone further investigation after the second eGFR result showed a deterioration, and felt it was likely that the naproxen would have been withdrawn at this point. He felt the naproxen was unlikely to have had a clinically significant effect on Mr J’s long-term prognosis.

Outcome 

On the basis of the nephrologist’s report, a letter of response was served, admitting there were missed opportunities to repeat Mr J’s blood tests, but denying that this resulted in a clinically significant difference to his renal function. The claim was subsequently discontinued.