Anesthesia Took The Life Of A Toddler

A routinely performed anesthesia took the life of a toddler. Daisy Lynn Torres, a 14-month-old girl, died after a routine dental procedure which took place in March. She had complications from the anesthesia administered for the treatment of cavities.

The little girl was from Austin, Texas and her death was classified as undetermined. Usually, non-natural death should be classified as undetermined, accident, homicide or suicide.

Daisy Lynn was taken to a Children’s Dentistry in North Austin, for a regular dental procedure. However, halfway through the operation, the dentist told her mother that there has been a complication. An ambulance rushed her daughter to the hospital.

Within a couple of hours, Daisy Lynn was pronounced dead. Her family was confused and shocked. Betty Squier, the girl’s mother, pointed out that the dental office had told her that the sedation of young patients was a safe and common procedure.

Austin Children’s Dentistry announced that it is “saddened by the tragedy.” The statement also says that the death was caused by anesthesia, and not by the dental procedure itself. Sometimes, complications with sedation occur, but losing a child is “particularly tragic.”

Another dentist, Robert Organ, from Dallas-Fort Worth, believes that child patients need special care. So he takes them to a Children’s Medical Center for performing general anesthesia instead of deep sedation at his office.

There’s not much that can be done to prevent allergic reactions to anesthesia, especially in infants. However, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that kids see a dentist before their first birthday, to make sure their teeth are on track and to prevent early childhood tooth decay.

If a child has a few cavities, these can be addressed without sedation. But sometimes, small children struggle with the dentist’s arm which can cause harm to them. Sedation is used to keep the child still. This is why the American Academy recommends early toothbrushing and flossing, to prevent any cavities from appearing.

Severe allergic reactions to anesthetics are highly unlikely, but once they happen, there’s not much that can be done about them. It remains to be seen if the girl’s mother will sue the anesthetist.

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