DEATH UNDER OPERATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19195, 8 December 1925, Page 12

DEATH UNDER OPERATION.

CHRIST CHURCH BOY'S CASE. " A VERY POOR CHANCE." An inquest regarding the death of William Dugald McPliee, aged 15 years, who died under an anaesthetic at the Christchurch Hospital on November 17, was held last Friday before Mr. H. Y. Widdowson, S.M. Dr. Tv. IT. Dean, house surgeon at the Christchurch Hospital,' said he examined deceased, and concluded that he was suffering from septic inflammation of" the bone of the right upper arm, with toxaemia. An operation- was performed, Dr. Crawshaw administering tho anaesthetic. The boy died under the anaesthetic before the operation was completed. Artificial respiration was resorted to, the deceased's thorax was opened, and his heart massaged. The heart commenced beating, but in a very short time it stopped, and further efforts at respiration were unavailing. Dr. John Guthrie, honorary surgeon, stated that the anaesthetic used in the operation was pure ether, the safest general anaesthetic.

J)r. J. Craws haw said the boy took the anaesthetic well, and tlie- operation had been going on ten minutes when wit.'.loss noticed that his respiration was irregular. The respirations became more irregular, and finally stopped. Everything possible was done to save the boy s life. Dr. W. If. Breivme.r, of the hospital staff, who was present at the post-mortem examination, said that in his opinion the cause of death was heart failure and septicaemia, due to acute inflammation of the right humerus and accelerated by the anaesthetic. An operation was absolutely necessary. In returning a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony, the coroner said it was a very unfortunate case. The post-mortem examination had revealed that the boy's condition became very bad, and if an operation had not been peiformed death would have'been inevitable. The boy apparently had a very poor chance of pulling through, and the hospital surgeons had done all that was possible to save his life.