BOY'S COLLAPSE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 228, 26 September 1930, Page 8

BOY'S COLLAPSE.

DEATH UNDER ANAESTHETIC * OPERATION IN PRIVATE HOSPITAL. FOOD IN LARYNX. (By- Telegraph.—Press Association.) GISBORNE, Thursday, j An inquest was held to-day concerning the death of a boy of 16, Joseph Arthur Parker, which occurred at a private hospital on September 17, when the patient was under an anaesthetic. Medical evidence was given to the effect that the lad was admitted to hospital suffering from cut tendons on the right hand, caused by putting his hand through a glass door when running after his sister at his home. He had his last

meal nearly five hours before the operation. The operation was nearly finished when the surgeon noticed that the anaesthetist was having trouble with the patient. The anaethetist said he thought some food had got into the larynx. An operation for tracheotomy was started and the patient appeared to be breathing. Artificial respiration was tried but with no effect, and tracheotomy was performed but the boy did not breathe. While keeping up artificial respiration one doctor found a large piece of meat in the trachea. • The doctors were still unable to get air into the lungs. Then a second piece of meat was found in the larynx, and then a third piece.- After that, for the first time, there was an entry of air into the lungs. 8 . , An incision was made in the upper part of the body and the heart massaged, but all efforts were unsuccessful. The acting-coroner, Mr. A. G. Bcere, and a jury of four returned a verdict that death was due to asphyxia while under an anaesthetic, and that all reasonable care and all the usual precautions appeared to have been taken in connection with the operation.