How could this be happening? Medication that is supposed to help and make a patient feeling better produces a deadly reaction?
Simple outpatient surgical procedures – which are performed in
clinics, doctor offices and dental practices on a daily basis – which
require mild to moderate painkillers is customary and routine may turn
out to be fatal. The case in question occurred last weekend when an
otherwise healthy 2-year-old boy died after being prescribed codeine to
relieve pain from having his tonsils removed. The sad fact is that
cases like this even the protocol of post operative was followed, and
very little could have been done to avoid such a tragedy.
The child mentioned above had a history of snoring and sleep apnea (when a person momentarily stops breathing during sleep throughout the
night). In an effort to clear the boy’s airway, he had a routine
tonsillectomy outpatient surgery and was sent home. Doctors prescribed
codeine syrup and told the boy’s mother to give it to him for pain, but
two nights later, the child developed a fever and wheezing. He was
found dead the next morning, according to the report.
Although the coroner’s office noted that toxicology tests showed the
mother had given the child the proper dosage, the boy had high levels
of morphine in his system, which is metabolized from codeine. Further
investigation determined that the child had an ultra-rapid metabolism
genotype, which causes the body to metabolize codeine at a faster rate
than the norm. The only true way to have avoided this tragedy would
have been to keep the child in the hospital overnight, for 24 hours,
for observation to see whether his breathing had improved, and whether
pain medications (such as codeine, which suppresses the respiratory
system) could have put him at risk.
The take home message here is that common, routine dental procedures
which involve pain relievers (like wisdom tooth extraction or implant
surgery) must always be treated with the utmost care and attention.Be
aware the potential risk of toxicity and allergic reaction of any
medication . If you are unsure of your body’s reaction to certain
medications or pain relievers, consult with your dental professional or
primary care physician. If you have a child who is about to undergo an
outpatient procedure, speak with his or her physician before the
procedure. Are there any potential risks associated with the procedure,
or with the post -operative medications? Know your child and know
their body – proper supervision is essential, especially with children.
