NO BLAME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 285, 1 December 1936, Page 14

NO BLAME.

HOSPITAL DEATH.

UNDER ANAESTHETIC.

MARRIED WOMAN'S FATE.

A decision that death was due to misadventure was returned by the coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., yesterday afternoon, in the inquiry into the death of Enid Marion Duncan, married, aged 28, who died under anaesthetic in the Public Hospital on October 28. Deceased lived at 12, Ashton Road, Mount Eden.

"Taking the case all together," commented Mr. Hunt, "I cannot find that anyone was to blame in this matter. Death was due to misadventure."

The first witness was Dr. Alexandra Alice Warnock, of Takapnna, who administered the anaesthetic. She said the patient collapsed under it. Crossexamined by Mr. Dickson, who appeared for the relatives, she said she remembered telling deceased's husband that ! before deceased went under tV.e anaesthetic she said she had a note for Dr. Blomiipkl, but she had left it in her bag. It was a note from deceased's doctor to Dr. Blomfield. Died Within Five Minutes. Witness said that the surgeon completed the operation, which took about ten minutes, and the woman died within five minutes. Restoratives were administered, but without success. The heart had been found not to be in a very good condition. Witness added that the c-a (so was on the list for general anaesthetics, and she thought, therefore, that Dr. Blomfield must have prescribed it. To the coroner witness said she expected she did 700 to 800 administrations a year. She had been qualified 11 years. William Alan Blomfield, who performed the operation, said after he had finished he left the theatre. There appeared to be some hold-up there, so he returned to find the anaesthetist and the staff trying to resuscitate the patient, who had collapsed. He helped, too, but the patient died. Mr. Dickson: Did Dr. Roche tell you about the condition of her heart or her ability to undergo the operation? Witness: I do not remember Dr. Roche cautioning me about the administration of an anaesthetic. I think I should have remembered it had lie done so. Mr. Dickson: Did you give any instruction as to the class of anaesthetic to be applied? —No. Mr. Dickson: Did you examine the woman in the hospital? —No. No Recollection of Note. Asked about the note of which the patient had spoken, witness said lie coukl not recollect a note, but while the patient was under an anaesthetic Dr. Warnock said that the woman had told her she had collapsed under two previous operations. He had replied that Dr. Warnock had better go easily and he would be as quick as he could. As far as he knew no more anaesthetic had been given after that. . Gertrude Aplira Willis, registered medical practitioner, said she had examined the woman the day before and put a note on the char'; that her heart sounds were rather weak. Dr. Willis told Mr. Dickson that deceased«liad told her that she was too nervous !o have a local anaesthetic, and that she was very anxious to have a general anaesthetic. Another Doctor's Opinion. Mr. Dickson then said that deceased had told her husband and two other witnesses that she had shown Dr. Willis the note, and had said that she wanted a local anaesthetic. Dr. Willis denied this. Dr. E. H. Roche said that he had I treated the woman and sent her to Dr. | Blomfield, suggesting an operation. He examined her heart, but considered that its condition was satisfactory. Dr. J. W. Craven, medical superintendent at the hospital, said that 13.000 anaesthetics were given in a year, and this death under one was the first for 12 months. Mr. Hunt said he had asked this because lie did not want it to get about that anaesthetic was a thing to be frightened of. He sympathised with the husband; but Mr. Duncan could rest assured that the production of the note would not have made any difference.