A child’s death at a Fort Worth dental office has sparked calls for stricter legislation to prevent such tragedies in the future. The incident occurred at Cuddle Kids Dental in April, where 4-year-old Aithana Rodriguez-Arriaga died after a procedure.
Investigation Findings
According to the arrest affidavit, Chrishelle Hemphill, 48, was responsible for the child’s death. The affidavit states that an unusually high amount of meperidine (demerol, an opiate) was found in the child’s blood system, which would have been toxic for an adult. Additionally, the child was given chloral hydrate, which has been discontinued and has no specific reversal agent.
Hemphill also gave the child Flumazenil, the wrong reversal agent, instead of Narcan. Furthermore, she used an AED to check the child’s pulse after finding her unresponsive, despite the child having a pulse.
Advocates’ Response
Texas Watch plans to fight for Rodriguez-Arriaga’s family in the Texas State Capitol, pushing for legislation that requires PALS certification (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) for two people present at a child’s procedure with sedation.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses.
Original reporting: Dallas – Ft. Worth Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
