MOTOGP MEDICAL guru Claudio Costa came under fire after misdiagnosing a life-threatening injury to Swiss 125 rider Randy Krummenacher.
The 18-year-old KTM rider, with a best of third place last year, was training on his mountain bike on the weekend when he hit a pothole covered by snow and crashed. Thinking he may only have bruised a rib, he opted to ignore subsequent chest pains, and came to Jerez.
The pains persisted and he consulted the Clinica Mobile, but GP medic Dr Costa opined that it was probably just nerves before the meeting. On the morning of practice, pain and stomach cramps had become severe, and Krummenacher opted for a hospital check.
When the teenage got there, he was rushed almost directly to the operating theatre for life-saving surgery. He had internal injuries including a ruptured spleen, had lost three litres of blood, and was in serious danger of infection.
After the operation, he was admitted to the intensive care ward for observation for 24 hours. Had he left it any longer, said doctors, he could easily have died.
His father, Peter Krummenacher, was outraged. “Dr Costa might be alright at fixing broken bones, but he should stay away from internal injuries,” he said.
Carlos Checa came close to death in 1998 when he ruptured his spleen in a crash at Donington Park, saved also by emergency surgery after collapsing in the paddock.
