LOCAL ANAESTHETIC

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 255, 26 September 1942, Page 4

LOCAL ANAESTHETIC

OVERDOSE CAUSES DEATH

(Press Assn.) DUNEDIN, Sept. 25. Proceedings at an adjourned inquest held to-day, concerning the death in the Dunedin Hospital on September 10 of John Cowie, aged 78, of Alexandra, revealed that an overdose of a local anaesthetic was administered by the surgeon in charge of the case, Dr. O. R, B. Pringle, Avho admitted that he had made a mistake in ordering an excessive percentage of desicaine to be administered to the patient prior to an operation for an enlargement of the prostate gland Tho Coroner (Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) announcing his verdict in accordance with the evidence of Dr. D’Ath, who had performed tho post-mortem examination, stated that Dr. Pringle had not attempted to divert from himself any of. the responsibility for tho unfortunate happening. The Coroner added that ho felt it tyis duty to suggest that the hospital authorities should consider the advisability of seeing that some check Was made when anaesthetics were ordered as in the present case. Dr, D’Ath, in his evidence, explained that desicaine was one of the newer types of local anaesthetics and had been in use in Dunedin for about five years. For a surface injection a two per cent, solution would be used, but only in very small quantities. For an injection infernally, however, not more than 0.2 per cent, might bo used. The amount ordered in the present case had been obviously excessive.