Mistakes in Surgery

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 21, 8 January 1923, Page 5

Mistakes in Surgery

AMAZING BLUNDERS ADMITTED. A SURGEON’S RECOLLECTIONS. [By Cable.—Pres# Association.—Copyright.] (Received 8, J 2.5 p.m.) London, Jan. 1. . A celebrated surgeon once removed a man’s sound leg. and discovering the mistake wished to amputate the other, which was badly injured, but the patient objected and finally left the hospital with the remaining leg completely healed. This is one of the most amazing mistakes, at least to the mind of the lay reader, related by Dr. Harold Burrows in his book “Mistakes and Accidents of Surgery.” The title completely explains the nature of the , contents, Dr. Burrows explains that the mistakes related are other fellows’’ but the book results Tn a sorrowful contemplation of the many committed. Relating to the leg incident he* cheerily adds: “The same mistake will probably be made' again 7’ Dr. Burrows explains that even commoner is the case of the removal of the wrong finger unless the surgeon \keeps himself wide awake. Naturally the operating., theatre is the scene of disturbing events -and apparently it is not uncommon to leave swabs arid wads of cotton wool or bandage in the patient’s interior. The doctor relates that he, once discovered a swab, inside a patient. The latter continuing ill he , made another exploration, discovering a second swab. X-ray in another case disclosed two rubber tubes in a patient’s chest. Other mistake* mentioned are squirting neat chloroform in bulk into a patient’s mouth; administration for half an hour of pure oxygen instead of, nitrous oxide gas; diagnosing head injuries drunkenness; gassing into unconsciousness of the operator and anaesthetist, by the decomposition of products of chloroform in contact with a gas stove. A nurse saved the situation by holding the patient, a child, outside a window. Twenty-six different 'diseases have been mistaken for, appendicitis; and consequently were improperly treated. Dr. Burrows cites a case where an anaesthetic was administered to, a' patient not suffering from appendicitis but from a malady which the anaesthetic rendered faiMl. Sprains are frequently mistaken for fractals. The writer declares that the commoner tne malady the greater the mistake, Owing to the fact that little skill is demanded, which induces carelessness. Operations on the tonsils ana adenoids are frequently open to tne gravest abuses. The “Weekly Dispatch,” which exclusively reviews the book, says it is reassuring ,to find readiness to confession which means that surgeons have found new wavs of reducing the natural liability to error.—(United Service).