More than two months after the tragic death of 9-year-old Silvanna Moreno following a dental procedure, the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office has released new details. The medical examiner ruled her death an accident, citing “methemoglobinemia in the setting of recent nitrous oxide administration” as the cause. Contributing factors included the use of multiple anesthetic medications. Methemoglobinemia is a rare blood disorder that hampers oxygen delivery in red blood cells and can be life-threatening.
The dental procedure occurred on March 18 at Dreamtime Dentistry in Vista, California. Dr. Ryan Watkins, the anesthesiologist, noted that methemoglobinemia can arise from nitrous oxide but stated that Silvanna showed no signs of distress during the operation. Silvanna had a fever the day before the procedure and complained of a headache on the day itself, but appeared stable throughout the three-hour appointment. She was monitored closely post-procedure in a recovery area before being released to her mother.
Following the dental visit, Silvanna fell asleep during the car ride home and remained asleep upon arrival. Family members found her unresponsive later and called 911; she was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Dr. Watkins expressed profound sadness over Silvanna’s death and indicated that the office would conduct an internal review to ensure patient safety. Notably, Watkins has a history of investigation by the Dental Board of California due to a previous incident in 2016, where a patient nearly died following anesthesia. He faced probation from 2020 to 2023 as a result. Silvanna’s family has not commented publicly on the matter.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
