A coroner’s verdict states that 13-year-old dental surgery patient Marissa Kingery died of lack of oxygen to the brain after she was sedated with four drugs.
Marissa became ill and collapsed on Dec. 21 after an intravenous sedation was administered to her in the offices of oral surgeon Dr. Henry Mazorow according to the report from the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s office.
Paramedics rushed her to Mercy Medical Center, where doctors diagnosed respiratory arrest. She was flown to Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland and placed on a ventilator right away.
She was given drug treatment and an operation was performed but Marissa failed to respond and was pronounced dead on Jan. 3.
The death was ruled accidental due to diffuse hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy damage to the brain that also occurs in carbon monoxide poisoning and many cases of shaken baby syndrome.
The drugs propofol , ketamine, remifentanil and Versed were administered to Marissa in what is commonly known as light sedation used for dentistry.
Marissa’s case is the latest pediatric death being monitored by a foundation founded by the family of 8-year-old Raven Maria Blanco of Chesapeake, Va., who too died after being administered sedatives during a dental procedure.
Dr. Larry Sangrik, who represents the foundation said the foundation has tracked 19 pediatric deaths related to dental complications since 1996. And, six children who have died since January 2010.
What is being debated is the deadly cocktail of four-drugs used for sedation that were administered to Marissa. Though, all the drugs in Marissa’s case are very tightly regulated in the state. Also, Sangrik has been speaking to the dental community about readiness in dealing with medical emergencies in such a case. The point to be noted is that if you have a patient who does develop anesthesia complications, then the dental unit should be ably prepared to address those immediately,
What was mentioned by Sangrik is that children run out of oxygen very quickly and the volume of air left in their lungs is disproportionately small and is used up very quickly. What was done in Mazorow’s office to revive Marissa is not specifically stated. Was Mazorow’s staff well equipped and trained to be able to attempt treatment before paramedics arrived on the patient, that is one question that remains a priority.
Marissa’s death is under investigation by the Ohio Dental Board. Mazorow faced another charge in the year 1997 for the death of 57-year-old Rosemary Johnson of Grafton, who died while having six teeth extracted. However, no action was taken against the dentist then. Johnson’s family settled a wrongful death case against Mazorow for $550,000 in 1999.
The latest findings show that most dental offices in America aren’t qualified to handle these medical emergencies and this is a major cause in the result of patient deaths.