BOY’S DEATH IN HOSPITAL

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1930, Page 7

BOY’S DEATH IN HOSPITAL

ASPHYXIA DURING OPERATION. ALL REASONABLE CARE TAKEN. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Gisborne, Last Night. An inquest was held to-day into the death of a 16-year-old boy, Joseph Arthur Parker, at a private hospital on September 17 when the patient was under an anaesthetic. Medical evidence was that the lad was admitted to the hospital suffering cut tendons on the right hand caused by putting his hand through a glass door when he was chasing his sister at his home. The lad had had his last meal nearly five hours before the operation. The operation was nearly finished when the patient commenced to vomit. He vomited four times. Then the operating surgeon noticed the anaesthetist was having trouble. The anaesthetist said he thought some blood had gone into the larynx. An operation for tracheotomy was started, and the patient appeared as though breathing had stopped. Artificial respiration was tried, .but had no effect and the tracheotomy was performed, but the boy did not breathe. While keeping up artificial respiration one doctor found a large piece of undi-

gested meat in the trachea. The doctors were still unable to get air into the lung. A second piece of meat was found in the larynx, and then a third piece. After that for the first time there was an entry of air into the lungs. An incision was made in the upper abdomen and the heart was. massaged, but all efforts were unsuccessful.

The acting-coroner, Mr. A. C. Beere, J.P., and a jury of four, returned a verdict that death due to asphyxia while under an anaesthetic, and that all reasonable care and all usual precautions appeared to have been taken in connection with the operation.