Hong Kong doctor tells Coroner’s Court he followed prescription of earlier doctor in hepatitis B case where woman later died of liver failure

Nephrologist Chan Siu-kim tells Coroner’s Court he did not consider use of an antiviral drug usually needed for liver problems such as hepatitis B

Chan adds he assumed woman patient had been told of consequences of not taking antivirals after she was given steroids to treat kidney disease

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Chan Siu-kim (left) and Lam Chi-kwan (middle), doctors at United Christian Hospital, who are involved in an inquest into the death of a woman they both treated. Photo: Jelly Tse

Published: 9:39pm, 16 Apr 2024Updated: 9:41am, 17 Apr 2024

A Hong Kong public hospital specialist linked to the high-profile death of a hepatitis B patient seven years ago has told the Coroner’s Court he only followed the prescription of the doctor who last treated the woman and did not consider using an antiviral drug usually needed for cases involving liver disease.

Chan Siu-kim, a nephrologist, told the court on Tuesday that he assumed hepatitis B carrier Tang Kwai-sze had been well-informed about the consequences of not taking an immunosuppressive antiviral drug even though she was on a high dose of steroids which was prescribed by the other doctor, Lam Chi-kwan, on January 20, 2017, about a month before he treated her.

Lam on Monday gave evidence that he did not prescribe a necessary antiviral drug because he was “distracted”, although he admitted that he knew failure to prescribe the medicine to hepatitis B patients who had also been given a large dosage of steroids could have serious consequences, including liver failure.

The court heard that, during Tang’s series of visits to United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong between August 2016 and February 2017, she was treated for kidney disease and was prescribed 40mg of steroids a day by Lam.

Exterior view of the West Kowloon Law Courts Building in Cheung Sha Wan. Photo: Felix Wong

During a 10-minute follow-up consultation session on February 17, 2017, Chan reduced Tang’s steroid dose as the drug had caused the side effect of a swollen face. But he said he did not add an antiviral drug to her prescription.

Hong Kong doctor tells Coroner’s Court he followed prescription of earlier doctor in hepatitis B case where woman later died of liver failure

Nephrologist Chan Siu-kim tells Coroner’s Court he did not consider use of an antiviral drug usually needed for liver problems such as hepatitis B Chan adds he assumed woman patient had been told of consequences of not taking antivirals after she was given steroids to treat kidney disease

Nephrologist Chan Siu-kim tells Coroner’s Court he did not consider use of an antiviral drug usually needed for liver problems such as hepatitis B

Chan adds he assumed woman patient had been told of consequences of not taking antivirals after she was given steroids to treat kidney disease