Charges dropped in Pa. case of autistic boy given wrong drug
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Charges have been dropped against a Pittsburgh-area doctor accused of causing the death of a 5-year-old autistic boy by incorrectly administering a controversial chemical treatment.
Dr. Roy Kerry was accused of using the wrong drug and administering it incorrectly while trying to use chelation therapy on Abubakar Tariq Nadama. He was charged with counts including involuntary manslaughter.
The boy went into cardiac arrest in Kerry's office immediately after receiving the therapy in 2005.
Chelation removes heavy metals from the body. It is not approved by the federal government for treating autism, though the Food and Drug Administration has approved it for treating lead poisoning.
