Washington state dental operator fined $5K in connection with patient death

The Washington Dental Quality Assurance Commission slapped the owner of Vancouver-based Must Love Kids Pediatric Dentistry with a $5,000 fine following the death of a 4-year-old patient, according to The Columbian.

Washington State Department of Health officials said Prashant Gagneja failed to have a written contract with Northwest Mobile Anesthesia Group, which had an independent contractor administer the anesthesia on the patient. After not being properly monitored, the patient died from the anesthesia.

Additionally, Mr. Gagneja will have to reimburse the commission $3,500, submit a revised dentist and anesthesia contract, pass a jurisprudence exam and complete additional education in record-keeping, reports The Columbian.

The independent contractor for Northwest Mobile Anesthesia Group Chester Hu was also fined $5,000. He stopped working for the anesthesia group and Must Love Kids in March 2017, following the patient's death.

The patient, Mykel Wayne Peterson, died from anesthesia after undergoing treatment at the practice in March 2017. Mr. Hu administered the anesthesia and then went to check on other patients when Mykel was taken to the recovery room. While Mr. Hu was away from the patient, who was being monitored by a medical assistant, Mykel's breathing shortened and eventually stopped. He was promptly transferred to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

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