Death in the dental chair: Three drug fatalities in dental patients

Abstract

Three patients, consisting of a seven year old boy and two adult women, died after administration of presurgical anesthetic medication in an oral surgeon's office.

Toxicological analysis for the drugs involved and medical records confirmed the three individuals had all received potentially lethal doses of pentazocine, a narcotic analgesic, along with unusually high and potentially lethal doses of diazepam. All had also received anesthetic doses of methohexital, an ultra-short acting barbiturate and general anesthetic.

Doxapram, a respiratory stimulant, was given in all cases without beneficial effect, and caffeine was administered in one case. Narcotic antagonists were not administered in any of the cases. Use of such could very well have prevented death in these cases.