THRISSUR: In a shocking incident, a three-year-old boy who underwent a dental procedure after being administered anaesthesia at a private hospital in Kunnamkulam died while under observation on Tuesday. Alleging medical negligence, the boy’s family lodged a complaint with the Kunnamkulam police. However, the hospital authorities refuted the allegations of negligence.
According to them, the boy died of cardiac arrest while under observation, and they were ready to cooperate with any investigation. Aaron, son of Kevin and Felja, of Mundur, was admitted to Malankara Medical Mission Hospital on Monday for treatment for dental infection.
As several teeth were infected, the boy was having difficulty chewing food. Since he was taking medication for other health conditions, the doctors recommended removing the infected teeth and fixing caps. After primary consultation, the doctors slated the procedure for Tuesday.
Sterin, the boy’s uncle, said they were shocked to hear the news about his death. “Around 6 am, the hospital staff took him for anaesthesia and related procedure.
The whole procedure was over by 8.45 am and he was shifted to the post-operative ICU. He was unconscious and they didn’t allow anyone to see him. We didn’t get any update about him for about three hours, which upset us.
Around 11.30 am, my uncle entered the ICU without permission to find Aaron bleeding through his nose and mouth, and the staff giving him CPR,” said Sterin. He said, before the procedure, Aaron’s mother Felija, a nurse, had raised concerns about administering anaesthesia, considering the boy’s prevailing medical condition.
‘We told docs about Aaron’s existing med condition’
Sterin said the doctors gave the family the confidence to go ahead with the procedure. “During consultation with pedodontist Meenu Prasannan, we had clearly said about Aaron’s condition. He used to experience fits and all medical reports regarding the same were produced before the procedure,” said Sterin.
Dr Meenu said as the consulting doctor, she had given the family two options -- either multiple sittings with the procedure or giving general anaesthesia to carry out the whole procedure at once. “The dental procedure got over at 7.45 am and I spoke to the boy’s mother. I also told her that if everything goes well, Aaron could be discharged by evening. I left the hospital after that.
Three hours later, I heard the news of his death,” said Dr Meenu. The post-operation care and other services were the responsibility of the hospital and she didn’t have a role in it, she said. Before the procedure, necessary consultations were made with anaesthesia experts at the hospital, the doctor added. Meanwhile, experts pointed out that the risk of administering anaesthesia in children was more compared to adults.
“Moreover, in the event of any complication, like deteriorating level of oxygen, the condition will worsen quickly in the case of children,” said a doctor who specialises in paediatric anaesthesia. Based on the complaint, the police have registered a case for medical negligence and initiated probe. The postmortem will be held at the Government Medical College, Thrissur, on Wednesday.
Student dies of fits during school trip
Palakkad: Shrisayana, a class X student of NKM High School in Pulapatta, who was on an excursion to Mysuru, died of fits on Monday night. “We were returning after visiting the Brindavan Gardens in Mysuru when Shrisayana developed fits and collapsed. Though she was rushed to a nearby hospital, the doctors said she had died due to fits,” said a teacher.