MULTNOMAH COUNTY, Ore. — An Oregon family is suing their child’s dentist for millions of dollars, accusing the doctor of medical negligence.
The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, said the 4-year-old, identified only by initials M.L., was given general anesthesia, despite the parents’ reservations and the child’s young age, KOIN reported.
The child had been at the same office a few months prior and was going to have cavities filled while under nitrous oxide, but the dentist suggested coming back and having it done under general anesthesia, according to the lawsuit. The family’s attorney said that they were not told why Davis did not use nitrous oxide.
The child overdosed on the anesthesia during the subsequent visit, making their heart stop beating until the child was resuscitated using chest compressions and epinephrine injections, NBC News reported. The child was then taken to an area pediatric emergency room, according to KOIN.
The case alleges the dental providers did not monitor M.L.’s vital signs, preventing a cardiac arrest.
Eventually, the child experienced brain swelling, had to be put on a feeding tube and lost basic motor functions they had before the incident, the lawsuit said, according to KOIN. The child has to relearn how to walk and talk, NBC News reported.
Both the dentist and the anesthesiologist are named in the lawsuit, NBC News reported.
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