A 3-year-old Hawaii girl who died following extensive dental procedures had no underlying heart problems and likely died because of the drugs used to sedate her, according to the medical examimer.
Finley Puleo Boyle went into cardiac arrest and lapsed into a coma during extensive dental procedures on December 3 by Lilly Geyer, DMD, a dentist at Island Dentistry for Children in Kailua. She died on January 3.
Honolulu Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Christopher Happy said the girl received five drugs in preparation for restorations and root canals: Demerol, hydroxyzine, chlorohydrate, nitrous oxide and a local anesthetic, lidocaine with epinephrine, according to a nydailynews.com story.
Following the lidocaine injection, the girl became unresponsive and went into cardiopulmonary arrest, according to the autopsy report.
Her parents have filed a medical negligence lawsuit, and Island Dentistry for Children has closed.
Dr. Geyer's attorney said the allegations were "unproven," according to the story.
A Hawaii woman remains in a coma after getting all four of her third molars extracted on March 17 by Hilo dentist John Stover, DDS, MD, PhD. Kristen Tavares, 23, went into cardiac arrest and was eventually flown to the Maui Medical Center where her family says she's unresponsive and her heart is too weak to do medical procedures.
After the little girl's death, health officials approved new rules requiring Hawaii dentists to have advanced training in sedation and experience in handling emergencies.
