DEATH UNDER OPERATION

Evening Star, Issue 17954, 27 April 1922, Page 5

DEATH UNDER OPERATION

HEART DISEASE UNDISCOVERED. NO NEGLIGENCE. An inquest concerning the death of Wilfred Moore, a returned soldier, aged tw-entv-four, who died at Christchurch Hospital on April 21, was resumed last night before the district coroner, Mr Wjvern Wilson, S.M.

Evidence given at a previous hearing showed that Moore was admitted to tho hospital to undergo an operation for an internal complaint, and ho died when the operation was practically completed. Dr A. B. Pearson, who conducted tho post mortem examination, gave evidence showing that death was primarily duo to valvular disease of the heart, and secondly to heart failure resulting from the anaesthetic.

Replying to the coroner, Dr Pearson said he did not think the deceased was in a fit condition to be placed under an operation. Ho was rather surprised to learn that the anscsthetist thought the heart was regular in rhythm. Dr J. S. Guthrie, honorary surgeon at tho hospital, who conducted the operation, said ho decided to operate to confirm tho supposition ho held as to tho cause of tho man’s condition and to relieve the patient’s trouble. Prior to his admission Moore had suffered attacks of violent pain and jaundice. Witness had no knowledge of tho man’s heart beyond that a.n examination had been made by the house surgeon. Dr Reay, tho amesthotist, had also made the usual examination in tho laboratory. The house surgeon reported that the heart was sound. The result of Dr Reay’s examination was not communicated to witness. When the anaesthetist's report indicated symptoms contrary to an operation, the practice was for it to be communicated to the operating surgeon. A systolic murmur in itself was no indication that a patient was unfit to undergo an operation. It the house surgeon had reported the patient’s heart as unsound witness would probably have called in a physician to decide whether tho risk of performing an operation was greater than that of leaving the patient in his then condition. Dr Guthrie said ho was surprised after hearing Dr Pearson’s evidence that the patient’s heart had been reported to him as sound. However, the presence of a murmur was not necessarily an indication of valvular disease. There could bo a murmur from a heart that was not diseased, arising perhaps from tho heart being enlarged. Tho Coroner said that tho impression left on his mind was that Moore was a young man who had bad health for somo time, and that although ho had had sharp pains over the heart quite' recently, he did not attach very much importance to them, because he never told tho doctors, tho anaesthetist, or the house surgeons. Tho house surgeon examined him and made tho report that the heart was sound. After hearing Dr Guthrie, ho thought that in view of tho history of the caso given by tho patient and tho fact that under examination only a murmur was heard, tho anaesthetist was justified. He would not say the anaesthetist was not justified under tho circumstances in reporting that the heart was sound. Events proved that the anaesthetist had not detected that the heart was unsound, but bo (the coroner) would not say he was negligent in doing so. Tho murmur was not sufficient to satisfy the house surgeon that the heart was unsound. Tho heart was in fact unsound, and the patient had suffered a relapse after the operation. As to the conduct of the operation, everything seemed to have been ns it should have been. The doctors could not real iso Isis condition without operating. He returned a verdict that death was duo to valvular disease of tho heart ami anaesthesia.