Crispin Hull

A machine that tested blood at Royal Canberra Hospital (North) was not working at a critical time during a baby’s operation, a coroner’s inquest was told yesterday.

Brian Lankuts, aged five months, died on November 21, 1990, after surgery to correct a skull abnormality which threatened to compress his brain.

The coroner, John Burns, heard that a machine that tested electrolytes and potassium levels in blood was not working that day. A fall or rise of potassium can cause cardiac arrest and death.
Continue reading “1992_09_september_brian”

The ability to determine how a baby was going during an operation was irretrievably clouded by the absence of records, the ACT Coroners Court was told yesterday (fri18sept).

Anaesthetist Dr Raymond Cooke was agreeing to a proposition put by Stuart Littlemore (acting for three surgeons) at the inquest into Brian Lankuts, who died aged five months on November 21, 1990, after surgery to correct a skull abnormality which threatened to compress his brain.

Mr Littlemore: “”Would you put it as high as this: the ability to assess the child’s performance during the operation was irretrievably clouded by absence of records.
Continue reading “1992_09_september_brian19”

A pediatric neurosurgeon said surgery on Brian Lankuts was adequate and appropriate as planned and carried out, but he would not have done the same operation, the ACT Coroners Court yesterday (thurs17sept).

Dr Robert Jones, of the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, was called as an expert by Stuart Littlemore, for neurosurgeon Dr Nadana Chandran, maxillary facial and oral surgeon Dr Peter Vickers and plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Alan Ferguson. He was giving evidence into the inquest into Brian Lankuts, who died aged five months on November 21, 1990, after surgery to correct a skull abnormality which threatened to compress his brain.

Dr Jones disagreed with an earlier expert, Dr David David, head of the Australian Cranio-Facial Unit in Adelaide.
Continue reading “1992_09_september_brian18”

The inquest into the death of baby Brian Lankuts in ACT Coroners Court centred yesterday (wed16sept) around a document recording the results of a blood test.

The blood test had been taken early in an operation on Brian, who died aged five months on November 21, 1990, after surgery to correct a skull abnormality which threatened to compress his brain.

Coroner John Burns was told that if the document had been on the medical file at the time it went to an independent expert the expert might have come to a different conclusion about the appropriateness of anaesthetic treatment during the operation.
Continue reading “1992_09_september_brian17”

Dr David David (subs correct surname same as given name) head of the Australian Cranio-Facial Unit in Adelaide was giving evidence at the inquest into Brian Lankuts, who died aged five months on November 21, 1990, after surgery to correct a skull abnormality which threatened to compress his brain.

His report was tendered by Steve Loomes, counsel assisting the coroner, John Burns.

The report concluded that the operation performed on Brian was inappropriate.

“”There is no evidence that urgent surgery was necessary outside of a major cranio-facial unit,” it said.
Continue reading “1992_09_september_brian16”

This version is to run with littlemore breakout… the littlemore bit is cut out of this…. a version with the whole lot in one story was sent earlier,then a break-out on littlemore requested. keep the first version just in case you change your mind and want it in one piece after all….

By CRISPIN HULL=el,3bd bl A machine that tested blood at Royal Canberra Hospital (North) was not working at a critical time during a baby’s operation, a coroner’s inquest was told yesterday.

Brian Lankuts, aged five months, died on November 21, 1990, after surgery to correct a skull abnormality which threatened to compress his brain.
Continue reading “1992_09_september_brian1”

The Australian Political Studies Association is to hold a one-day special session on “”Australia’s Republican Question” on October 2 at the Australian National University. Speakers include former Pime Minister Bob Hawke, Senator Chris Schacht and a dozen or so academics.

The conference is part of a growing debate about Australia’s Constitution, including a three-day conference from October 3 to 6 in Darwin sponsored by the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly.

Tony Hedley, of Hamib Pty Ltd has been elected president of the Building Owners and managers Association of the ACT at the annual meeting this week. John Cabot, of Capital Property Group, and Lindsay Roberts of Hooker Corporate ACT, were elected vice-presidents.
Continue reading “1992_09_september_bfs”

A Canberra man says he has been bombarded with begging letters from two overseas aid agencies, which he says spend 65.5 cents in every dollar raised on fund-raising costs and administration.

However, the aid agencies say the letters are a very cost-effective way of raising money and the ratio of costs to total money raised is less than a quarter.

Gerard Sellars, of Griffith, said yesterday that he and his wife, Elizabeth, had been giving to overseas aid agencies for decades, but in recent years they got bombarded with “”begging letters”. He decided to take a tally.
Continue reading “1992_09_september_aid”

This time last year the Australian Football League was under attack for the unfairness of its finals series.

This year it has changed the system slightly. The result is a completely fair finals system. Let me explain.

Last year the AFL had just moved from having a final five to having a final six.

The new final-six system was branded as unfair. It was unfair (for reasons which don’t matter now) and needed modifications. As a result of the changes no-one should complain. This is what happens:
Continue reading “1992_09_september_afl”

Mao’s dictum that power comes from the barrel of a gun does not apply in a stable democracy, like Australia. Rather it comes from money, influence and knowledge.

Those three combined with peculiar force in the person of Hungarian migrant Emil Herbert Abeles one day in November, 1988. That day, the by then Sir Peter Abeles, went to Kirribilli House, the official Sydney residence of the Prime Minister. Here he witnessed a deal between his longtime friend and now Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, and the then Treasurer, Paul Keating. The other witness was the secretary of the ACTU, Bill Kelty.

The two witnesses gave a promise of secrecy, which they kept. The Prime Minister gave a promise that he would step down in favour of Keating before the 1990 election, which he did not keep.
Continue reading “1992_09_september_abeles”