INTERNAL BURN FROM SALINE

Evening Star, Issue 19444, 30 December 1926, Page 6

INTERNAL BURN FROM SALINE

CHILD DIES AFTER OPERATION HOSPITAL COMMITTEE'S FINDING [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, December 30. A special meeting of the Wellington Hospital Committee, after thorough investigation had been made into the circumstances surrounding the death of the child Jean Greaves, who died after an operation for appendicitis, passed the following resolution: — “ That, in the opinion of the committee, the cause of the death of Greaves was purely accidental. From statements presented to the committee the saline when administered was at standard 'temperature. Probably the instrument allowed too great a flow of saline, which caused a burn and consequent complications. We desire to place on record our recognition of the steps taken by the medical superintendent to have the case properly investigated, and his action in having an inquest held. We also instruct the medical superintendent to carry out his proposal to consult the honorary surgical stalf with the_ object of preventing similar happenings in the future.”

The Medical Superintendent (Dr D. M. Wilson) submitted a lengthy report to the board, in which he said that he was more inclined to blame their methods of administering saline. The accident showed that the conditions and apparatus, though worked for years, were not “fool proof,” and required modifying. It was the first case of the kind reported from the hospital.