An elderly woman died after a doctor accidentally punctured her lung while performing a chest drain procedure, a coroner has ruled.
Judith Seymour Sheehan, 76, was admitted to Wellington Hospital with fluid on her lung in April 2010, Coroner Ian Smith said in his finding.
He was told doctors decided to drain the area with a small 3cm needle in an attempt to avoid lung damage.
The registrar who performed the procedure, Dr Ilamaran Kumarasamy, known as Dr Moran, was an advanced trainee in general medicine.
Following the draining Mrs Sheehan became increasingly breathless and Dr Moran contacted a consultant Elaine Barrington-Ward, Coroner Smith said.