DEATH UNDER ANAESTHETICS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 62, 10 September 1924, Page 5

DEATH UNDER ANAESTHETICS

SATISFACTORY DECREASE

.Deaths under■ anaesthetics is one of the subjects dealt with ■in the annual; report of the Director-General of. Public Health (Dr. T. H. A. ■ Valintine); ■&:■ ::\ ■■ ■ Thirteen- deaths ,bccurie'cV.in 1923,.- he : points :but, ;MVcomparispu.^vith.'..tweiily- i- ' two for the previous year; -representing"'^ satisfactory deci'ease. Tlie "majority "y-jrer' cases in'" which'; the expectation ■of 3dc.' would have been, short. However, threo deaths took place during dental cperaJtions, and it is evident that the admin-' iStration of general anaesthetics in siicli cases is accompanied 'by;., a ceit'ain: amount of risk. -This-matter •has.-'.bceiv brought under the notice of "tli'e" "BritisU Medical Association. _.' ' ; ; ■: ,'■;■■'■ : On instruction from the Department, the Dominion' Laboratory has carried put a number of analyses of standard anaesthetics on. the. market. Except ,in:'.a few cases where there, was no serious defect the result showed" that the recognised standards .ate '.being, observed^' A proper anaesthetics register, prepared by the Department, has been introduced into, the majority, of. our. public .Jios-pita-ls, so that reliable records as to the administratiou of anaesthetics should" in 14 !■ future -be available'-to . the -niedicaJ |. staffs and the Department.-: "'.■■„; ;_;>„■