PATIENT'S DEATH

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24103, 23 October 1941, Page 11

PATIENT'S DEATH

FALL FROM WINDOW CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL DISCOVERY BY NURSES [TIT TF.LKGUAPH — PRESS ASSOCIATION] OHRISTCHUR(.'H, Wednesday How a patient got out of lied at the C'hristchureli Public Hospital, fell out of a window and so injured herself that she died a few hours later, was revealed at an inquest to-day before Mr. !',. ('. Levvey, S.M., coroner. Tho patient was Mabel Annie Newberry, a single, middle-aged woman, who was recovering from an operation. Ellen J. Dick, night staff nurse, said that on August 15, at J2.10 a.m.. in the women's surgical ward, she heard a cry. On investigating she found a window open behind a bed which had been occupied by Miss Newberry. She found Miss Newberry lying on the ground outside. Witness and another staff nurse carried her back into the ward on a trolley. Helen Craddock, student nurse, said she was on night duty at ward 10. She had received no special instructions about .Miss Newberry. At midnight she noticed that Miss Newberry was awake and spoke to her. At 12.5 a.m. she had to go to the other end of the ward. A few minutes later a patient called out that somebody was getting out of a window. Sills High Above Floor Witness said she ran down the ward and found Miss Newberry's bed empty and the window open. Two other nurses went out to look for her, as witness could not leave the ward. The night was windy and that would account for witness not hearing the window being opened. The windows had all been shut and the sills were high above tho floor. Miss Newberry would have to climb oyer a heater to get out of the window. Nobody could fall out, of the window by accident.

Dr. 0. H. Thompson said .Miss Newberry was admitted to the hospital on August (j and operated on two days later. She was recovering quite satisfactorily from the operation, but was not looking forward to a_ further minoroperation. On the morning of August 15, just after midnight, .he was called to attend Miss Newberry, who had been found outside the ward and taken back to bed. She was suffering from shock. There was no sign of a fracture. She died at 4.20 a.m. There had been some neurasthenic condition. Notifying Relatives

Robert Stead, lor the relatives, asked whether there was any reason why the relatives were not informed of rhe accident until 1..'50 a.m.

Dr. Thompson said that was not the surgeon's job. but the staff nurse's.

The coroner asked Dr. Thompson to draw the attention of those concerned to the need for prompt action in notifying relatives. Dr. A. B. Pearson, who conducted a post-mortem examination, said that in liis opinion the operation had been successful. Apart from the fall the patient would have recovered. The coroner found that, deceased died from peritonitis, arising from injuries received in a fall when, under the influence of pain, she threw herself out of a window at the Christchurch Public Hospital.