Circumcision Patient dies of Anaesthetic Overdose

The Daily Telegraph (U.K.), Friday, November 27, 2001.

Patient died 'because surgeon guessed dose'

By Paul Stokes

(Filed: 27/11/2001)

A SURGEON "guessed" the level of anaesthetic he gave to a patient who died after a routine circumcision operation, a jury was told yesterday.

Pravin Chaturbhai Patel, 52, was charged with manslaughter after Andrew Ryan received an injection more than three times the recommended levels.

Mr Ryan, 20, a muscular dystrophy sufferer, went to Shotley Bridge Hospital, in Consett, Co Durham, for the operation on July 25, 1997.

He weighed about 3st 4lb and had 10 millilitres (200mg) of two per cent lignocaine administered as a local anaesthetic. This was the maximum adult dose, Newcastle upon Tyne Crown Court was told, but the maximum dose in Mr Ryan's case was 3 millilitres (60mg).

Jeremy Hill-Baker, prosecuting, said Patel was guilty of gross negligence by not ascertaining Mr Ryan's weight to calculate the amount of drug.

He had given Mr Ryan "an overdose of local anaesthetic which led to convulsions, respiratory failure and ultimately death," said Mr Hill-Baker.

Patel, of Harrow, north-west London, denies manslaughter. The hearing continues.

Cite as:

Paul Stokes. Patient died 'because surgeon guessed dose'. Daily Telegraph, Friday, November 30, 2001.

Back to the News 2001 page.

The Circumcision Information and Resource Pages are a not-for-profit educational resource and library. IntactiWiki hosts this website but is not responsible for the content of this site. CIRP makes documents available without charge, for informational purposes only. The contents of this site are not intended to replace the professional medical or legal advice of a licensed practitioner.