Evidence of shock treatment

Press, 3 June 1982, Page 6

Evidence of shock treatment

PA Auckland A pathologist told the Coroner's Court at Auckland yesterday that an Oakley Hospital patient died of sudden heart failure, after shock treatment. The pathologist. Dr W. M, Smeeton, said that there .had been no evidence to suggest that Michael Percy Watene, aged 25, had died of cerebral anoxia — a lack of oxygen to the brain. Watene died in a hospital strongroom oh February 22, soon after receiving electroconvulsive therapy (E.C.T.), for the fourth time in five days.

The Auckland Coroner, Mr A. D. Copeland, adjourned the inquest yesterday, the second day, after .hearing evidence .from the-yjree remaining police witnesses. It will resume today. Mrs Lorraine ’/ Smith appeared for the deceased's

family, Mr D. S. Morris for the Auckland Hospital Board, and Dr Rodney Harrison for the Auckland Council for Civil Liberties. Ten police witnesses have appeared and Mrs Smith intends to call two witnesses., Mrs Smith earlier told the hearing that one of the witnesses would say that Watene was kicked and punched by hospital staff, and given three times the maximum recommended dose of a hypnotic drug.

Because matters of a “very serious nature" had been raised in statements during the hearing, - the Coroner said that he wanted to consider some of the submissions referred to by Mrs Smith.,

Dr Smeeton said yesterday that, on examining Watene’s' body, he found nothing which “unequivocally indicated" the cause of death-

There was a bruise on the right side of the head, but he did not consider that to be a contributing factor. The anaesthetic used during E.C.T. was acceptable in both dosages and technique. There was a possibility that Watene’s air passage had been obstructed, but adequate nursing supervision would have rectified that had it occurred. The patient died from sudden heart failure after E.C.T. Death after E.C.T. was rare, he said. Asked during crossexamination whether he had seen bruising down the rib cage, on the back, wrist, and ankles, he said. "No, I did not.” '

Mr Morris: I understand you found nothing to suggest that this man’s death had been caused by blows?

Dr Smeeton: That is correct. .

Dr Smeeton said that if there had been no close supervision of Watene after the last time he had had E.C.T. on February 22, the possibility of air passage obstruction was “rather stronger” than he had first thought. . •« Paraldehyde, the hypnotic drug administered to Watene. was probably not the cause of death, said Dr Smeeton. A staff nurse at Oakley, Mr J. P. Thompson, said that three nurses had observed Watene after E.C.T. was given on February 22. He could not remember if Watene’s pulse was taken. Dr Harrison-/.ls it laid down -that post-E.C.T, care requires regular checks of the pulse?. ■ . Mr Thompson: I have never seen that written anywhere. ; ; Nurses, he said, had waited

outside the strongroom and checked on the patient through a window. When Watene was noticed to be unusually still, they entered the strongroom and found that he was not breathing, and had no pulse. Attempts to revive him failed. Dr Smeeton considered that the methods used to try to resuscitate Watene were primitive. Watene had been at Oakley for five days when he died. He' was transferred there from Mount Eden Prison, where he was serving a seven-day sentence for offensive behaviour. At the prison, he had barricaded himself in a cell. He feared thqt he would be attacked by other inmates. On his arrival at Oakley he was described by doctors as hostile and potentially violent.