WOMAN RESUSCITATED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23203, 29 May 1937, Page 14

WOMAN RESUSCITATED

DEAD FOR FOUR MINUTES RESORT TO HEART MASSAGE COLLAPSE DURING OPERATION (Per United Press Association) . WELLINGTON, May 28. Resort to heart massage during an operation at Wellington Hospital was mentioned at an inquest to-day. Dr G. L. M. Scholefield stated that he commenced to give a patient an anaesthetic, but she soon collapsed Dr Pacey was to perform an opesation.

The patient was apparently dead for four minutes, said Dr Scholefield. An opening was made in the upper abdomen and the heart was massaged. Stimulants were also administered. The resuscitative measures resulted in the heart beating again and the patient commenced to breathe. The medical evidence otherwise showed that the patient's condition was very bad, and Dr Scholefield said that, in view of her condition no operation was carried out, and she was returned to the ward. It was not possible to start the operation again in the afternoon, and the patient died at 6.15 p.m. Dr Lynch, pathologist at the hospital, said the anaesthetic was only a minor factor in the patient's death. Between the time of her collapse and the time of her death, the effect of the anaesthetic would have been almost eliminated. , The coroner said he was 'satisfied that the doctors did everything to preserve the woman's life. The coroner found that death was due to taxaemia, associated, with pregnancy.