IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Sedatives Cited in Toddler's Dentist Office Death

Sedatives are likely the cause of death for a 3-year-old Hawaii girl during a dentist visit.

During a dentist visit, a 3-year-old Hawaii girl suffered a heart attack and died, likely due to the sedatives and anesthesia administered, according to The Associated Press.

Honolulu Chief Medical Examiner Christopher Happy classified the death of toddler Finley Puleo Boyle, of Kailua, as an accident during her Dec. 3 visit for cavity fillings and root canals. It was during her visit at the office of Dr. Lilly Geyer at Island Dentistry for Children that she slipped into a coma. She died a month later, on Jan. 3.

The autopsy report by the chief medical examiner said the girl had no previous heart problems or any allergic reaction to the sedatives or anesthesia, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. The toddler had received five drugs, including Demerol, hydroxyzine and chlorohydrate. She had also been given laughing gas and a local anesthetic.

New Hawaii state rules tightened the oversight of dental sedation in January, the AP said.

Boyle's parents, Ashley and Evan, filed a negligence lawsuit while their child was in a coma. Geyer's attorney, John Nishimoto, said the allegations were "unproven."

Geyer had been given a license to practice in Hawaii in July 2005 and up until last December, had no recorded complaints against her with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the newspaper reported.

- Alessandra Malito, with the Associated Press