FORCEPS FOUND IN ABDOMEN

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27988, 7 June 1956, Page 12

FORCEPS FOUND IN ABDOMEN

INQUEST INTO MAN’S

DEATH

PRESENCE HELD NOT TO BE FACTOR

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 6.

During the post-mortem examination of a man who died at the Hutt Public Hospital on March 10, a pair of artery forceps was removed from his abdomen, where they had been since an operation eight days earlier: However, the forceps had no connexion with the deterioration of the man’s' condition after the operation. This was said by Dr. P. P. Lynch, who conducted the post-mortem examination, at the inquest at Lower Hutt today into the death of Stanley Anderson. aged 46. When returning his verdict, the Coroner <Mr P. Keesing) said it was clear and definite that the forceps had not in any way contributed to death. For the purpose of the inquest the presence of the forceps ceased to have any importance. Mr R. Hardie Boys represented Anderson's relatives, and Mr J. W. Ward represented the Wellington Hospital Board. Detective-Sergeant W. A.

Parish appeared for the police. Dr. W. S. Fogg, medical superintendent of the Hutt Hospital, said that Anderson was admitted on the morning of March 2 with a suspected gastric ulcer which was hemorrhaging. This condition was considered dangerous in patients over 45, and an emergency oneration was decided on. Several pairs of forceps were used during the operation, and at. the end of it the usual instrument check showed that one pair was missing. A search of the abdominal cavity and of the theatre was made without finding them. The presence of the forceps, if they were still in the patient, did ' not seem an imminent d nger. the witj ness said, and it would have been i dangerous to prolong the operation. I An X-ray of the patient was ordered. and the forceps were seen in the lower abdomen. An operation to remove the forceps was arranged for

March 12. but the patient’s condition suddenly deteriorated, and he died. The relatives were concerned to find out which of several causes of death assigned in conversation with the hospital authorites was the correct one. Mr Boys said. The Coroner found that the cause of death was either an in the left pulmonary artery or general peritonitis arising from leakage from the duodenum at the site of the operation.