Family Shocked After 9-Year-Old Dies Following Tooth Surgery, Autopsy Tells Why
Family Shocked After 9-Year-Old Dies Following Tooth Surgery, Autopsy Tells Why
In a tragic case, a nine-year-old girl died after undergoing a dental procedure at a clinic in Southern California. The child, Silvanna Moreno, passed away just hours after the surgery, and the cause of death has now been confirmed in an official autopsy report.
Silvanna had dental surgery at Dreamtime Dentistry in Vista, California, on March 18. According to a new autopsy report from the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office, she died just hours after the procedure.
The report says that the cause of her death was methemoglobinemia. This condition can happen when too much nitrous oxide enters the blood. Nitrous oxide is a gas often used to reduce pain and help patients relax during surgery. In this condition, the blood cannot carry enough oxygen to the body, which can lead to serious problems.
The report states that Silvanna had complained of tooth pain in October. She was later referred to Dreamtime Dentistry and scheduled for surgery in March.
A day before the surgery, Silvanna had a fever. Her family gave her children’s Tylenol, and her fever went away. However, the dental clinic said they were not told about any illness. They said if they had known about the fever, the surgery would have been delayed.
On the day of the surgery, Silvanna told her family she had a headache, but she did not seem very sick. She was given anesthesia at 10 a.m. for a three-hour procedure. After the surgery, she woke up and was moved to the recovery room. Then she was sent home.
On the way home, Silvanna seemed sleepy and “out of it.” She was snoring heavily but could still open her eyes and stand for a bit. Once home, she was carried inside and continued sleeping.
After about 90 minutes, her snoring became slower and quieter. Her grandmother checked her heart rate twice. After the second check, she noticed Silvanna was not responding. She called 911 at 4:46 p.m. and was told to start chest compressions.
Silvanna was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital. Doctors tried to save her, but she was pronounced dead at 5:44 p.m. The report says her heart had already stopped working when she arrived.
