A six-year-old boy was rushed to intensive care after being given a cocktail of knock-out drugs by his Tooting based dentist, a GDC hearing has been told.
The boy started to experience vomiting and turned blue within a few hours of having two teeth removed under anaesthetic at the Waterfall Dental Centre in Tooting High Street.
Staff had failed to fully supervise his recovery and only called an ambulance after his Mother insisted he should be taken to hospital, the General Dental Council (GDC) heard on Monday, 25 February.
The boy remained in a state of unconsciousness for at least eight hours and was only discharged four days later.
Dentist Olawale Fawehinmi is accused of a catalogue of failings relating to his treatment of the child.
The GDC heard how dental practice guidelines state patients should be awake throughout treatment with only enough sedation to reduce anxiety.
The boy however, referred to as PB, was injected with four different drugs including the opiate Fentanyl and the tranquilliser ketamine, which carries a risk of breathing problems.
David Bradly, for the GDC, told the hearing how PB’s Mother brought her son in at 9.30am on October 3, 2006. The boy was not weighed, did not have his blood pressure taken and Mrs PB did not sign a consent form before leaving the boy in the treatment room.
The boy’s Mother saw him half an hour later in the recovery room where it is claimed he was often left unsupervised.
Mr Bradly said: ‘PB was deeply unconscious and he remained so for a number of hours thereafter. He was ultimately conveyed to hospital some time after 1pm.
‘In summary, if PB’s Mother is right, PB remained unconscious for the whole time he was in recovery. He was sick a number of times and his fingers went blue. The anaesthetist came when called by PB’s mother.
‘There was no recovery nurse there. The anaesthetist could not get the heart rate and oxygen saturation monitor working.
‘There was no child’s oxygen mask readily available. When the next patient came out of the treatment room, PB could be taken there where the suction equipment was located.’
On arrival at hospital, he was rushed to intensive care, where he remained unconscious until 6pm.
The following day, he was well enough to be transferred to a ward. However, he was not allowed home for a further three days.
Dr Fawehinmi is also accused of failings in relation to his treatment of a 32-year-old woman known only as PA.
It is said that both treatments were ‘unprofessional and not in the interests of PA and PB’.
Dr Fawehinmi, now registered at Greystoke Road, Cambridge, denies misconduct.
The 10-day hearing continues.
