DEATH IN HOSPITAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1029, 21 July 1930, Page 1

DEATH IN HOSPITAL

WOMAN COLLAPSES UNDER ANAESTHETIC BREATHING INTERRUPTED mSm. Press Association GISBORNE, Today. Unusual circumstances were revealed in the medical evidence at the inquest on Saturday concerning the death of Mrs. Margaret Dominey, aged 30. who died in the Cook Hospital on Friday when under an anaesthetic while she was undergoing an operation for goitre. Dr. R. J. B. Hall, medical superin- ; tendent, stated that about an hour and a-quarter after the anaesthetic had been administered Mrs. Dominey ceased to breathe. Artificial respiration caused breathing to begin again, but five minutes later breathing stopped and the heart ceased to beat. Artificial stimulation and the administration of drugs were without avail. Heart massage caused the heart to beat, but finally the heart ceased altogether. To the coroner, Mr. P. H. Harper, S.M., witness said it was very unusual for the heart to go on beating without breathing continuing. Dr. Hall stated that a post mortem examination showed that all the organs were normal, but the thymus gland behind the breast bone, which usually grew smaller in adult life, "as enlarged. In many cases of death under an anaesthetic it was found that this gland was enlarged, though witness had no authority to ; say it was the cause of death. A ! thorough examination of the heart, was made before the anaesthetic was I administered and everything was done for the patient. The coroner found that, Mrs. Domi- ; ney died under an anaesthetic, the | j-***® °f death being respiratory in- , BlDiticn secondary to an operation for j Phyroidectomy, and probably accen- ■ uated by the condition of the thymus ] gland causing difficulty in breathing, i