Woman died while being prepared for x-ray

Press, 16 July 1986, Page 21

Woman died while being prepared for x-ray

A Westport woman, aged 47, died at Christchurch Hospital after she was given the drug pethidine in preparation for an x-ray, the Coroner’s Court heard yesterday. The District Coroner, Mr A. N. McLean, found that Robyn Elizabeth Grice died of an unexpected and unusual reaction to pethidine on April 10. He said the reaction could not have been predicted.

The senior lecturer in medicine at the Christchurch Clinical School, Dr Bruce Chapman, gave evidence that the woman had been transferred to Christchurch Hospital for x-rays.

She had previously been in Princess Margaret Hospital, where she was being treated for systemic lupus erthematosls and undiagnosed abdominal pain. She was given 50 to 70 mg of pethidine to sedate her before the x-ray. When she started to utter choking sounds, she was given the antidote for pethidine and cardiac pulmonary rescusitation. Rescusitation attempts continued for an hour and a half.

When answering questions from the Coroner, Dr Chapman said the reaction could not have been foreseen. About 1500 similar procedures were carried out at the hospital

each year. A pathologist, Dr John Ewart Pettit, found she had died of acute heart failure following the pethidine injection. A man, aged 41, of no fixed abode, had been drinking in Laterimer Square before he died on April 25, the court was told.

Constable William Warren gave evidence that Bruce George Cameron Johnston, a sickness beneficiary, had been drinking on a park bench, and had fallen over after he had stood up. The man had fallen and hit his head on the pavement, sustaining superficial lacerations to the head.

Constable Robin Cocks gave evidence that the deceased had been found lying in a gutter in Hereford Street at 10.50 p.m. He possessed a shopping bag containing a plastic bottle, half-filled with methylated spirits, and an empty sherry bottle. He also had a bottle of tegretol tablets which were sometimes used by alcoholics. The area was cordoned off while it was examined by the C. 1.8. They found footprints leading from the park bench to the gutter where Mr Johnston was found. The C. 1.8. found no indications of violence.

Blood tests found a blood alcohol level of 240 milligrammes. The Coroner found the man had died from carbamazepine poisoning and heart failure, associated with alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Graham Noel Rathgen, aged 50, died from multiple severe injuries received when his car went off the road and hit a concrete fence, the Coroner found. Constable Brian George said Mr Rathgen had been driving alone on the Lees-ton-Christchurch road on April 13 when he had lost control of his vehicle. It crossed the centre line and hit a concrete fence.

An off-duty St John Ambulance officer, Mr John Charles Pearcy, attended the accident. He said the man had suffered two heart attacks on the way to Christchurch Hospital. He died after the second heart attack.

The Government Analyst’s report said the man had a blood alcohol level of 140 milligrammes. The Coroner found that Edna Marjory Church, aged 70, died on April 6 from bronchopneumonia associated with severe multiple injuries sustained when her car ran into the back of another car and hit a tree.

Michael Vincent Har-

vey, a process worker, gave evidence that he had been driving on the Main North Road at Belfast when he had slowed down as he came up behind another vehicle. It was raining at the time. He then felt the impact of the woman’s car on the left rear of his vehicle. He looked in his rear vision mirror and saw a white Mini car career towards the median strip and hit a tree.

A passenger in a car died on January 5 when the vehicle she was in veered off the road and hit a ditch, the court heard.

Valerie Ann Cooper, aged 29, died after the accident on Tram Road, at Ohoka, the Coroner found. She had died of asphyxiation following traumatic transaction of the trachea. Constable Michael Joseph Mullan, of Rangiora, said the woman was a front seat passenger in a car driven by Rick John Murray, aged 34. Mr Murray had failed to negotiate a curve, and had not been able to avoid hitting a granite culvert.

He was subsequently charged with the careless use of a motor vehicle causing the death of Mrs Cooper. He was also charged with driving with an excess blobd-alcohol level.

He pleaded guilty in the Rangiora District Court on May 21, and was convicted and jailed for one month on each charge. He was also disqualified from driving for two years. Victor Stanyer, aged 59, died after he had cycled into the path of a moving vehicle on the Main North Road on May 17, the Coroner found. The driver of a North’s Bakery truck, Mr Vernon Patrick Roberts, gave evidence that a cyclist had pulled out in front of him. Mr Stanyer had put out his arm to indicate his intention, but Mr Roberts did not have time to avoid him.

Constable Martin Fitzsimmons said the driver had taken evasive action, but he had not had enough time to avoid Mr Stanyer. The Coroner found that Russell Nathan Evans, aged 65, died from asphyxia caused by smoke inhalation in a house fire. Constable Fitzsimmons gave evidence that the fire had probably been caused by Mr Evans smoking in bed.

Suicide verdicts were entered in the following cases: Miriama Leitu, Brian Robert Davies, Trevor Ogilvie Leischman Armstrong, and Leone Helen Rutledge. The hearing into the death of Gaylene Faye Ingram was adjourned.