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.
Dr Cooke: “”Yes”
Mr Littlemore: “”But machines are better now. We are getting towards the state now where anaesthetists have to do no writing during an operation.”
Dr Cooke: “”Yes”.
Dr Cooke and fellow anaesthetist Dr Nicholas Gammell-Smith have stated during the inquest that their primary concern was to treat the patient. That had greater priority than record-keeping, especially in times of emergency.
Dr Cooke said his treatment for Brian’s loss of blood pressure, by giving blood despite the absence of other indicators of blood loss, was appropriate. He agreed he was unable to tell how much of two blood products he had given Brian because of incomplete records. He accepted that an expert could disagree with his treatment.
He said that, after discussion, the surgeons had continued to operate even though the blood pressure was low because the difference, by then, between closing immediately or finishing the operation was only 10 minutes.
It was announced at the beginning of yesterday’s hearing that the parents, Michael and Carol Lankuts, had differed with their counsel, Hugh Selby, and they wished to represent themselves. The coroner, John Burns, granted them leave to do so.
The inquest was adjourned until November 12 or 16, depending on availability of witnesses.