HEART MASSAGED

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 445, 29 May 1937, Page 6

HEART MASSAGED

LIFE RESTORED IN PATIENT

Case At Wellington

Press Association —Copyright. Wellington, May 29.

Resort to heart massage during an operation at the Wellington hospital was mentioned at an inquest at Wellington.

Dr. G. L. M. Scholefield said he commenced to give a patient an anaesthetic, but she soon collapsed. Dr. Pacey was to perform the operation, ■“he patient was apparently dead for four minutes,” added 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 t.he patient, commenced to breathe.” The medical evidence otherwise showed that the patient’s condition was very bad, and Dr’ Scholefield said that ip view of her condition no operation was made 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, pa'thologist at the hospital, said, the anaesthetic was only a minor factor in the 1 patient’s death. Between the time of her collapse and the’'time of her death the effect of the anaesthetic would be almost entirely eliminated..

The Coroner in recording his finding. said lie was satisfied the doctors did everything to preserve the woman’s life! He found that death was caused by toxaemia associated with pregnancy.