Contaminated syringe

Girl (4) dies during dental surgery after anesthesia

A dental operation (symbolic image) ended fatally for four-year-old Emilia.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Alla - stock.adobe.com)

Four-year-old Emilia from Hesse in Germany was administered a contaminated drug during a harmless dental operation. The accused anesthesiologist (67) is no unknown quantity.

A 67-year-old anaesthetist, who already has a criminal record for involuntary manslaughter, is on trial in Frankfurt am Main Regional Court (D) for four counts of grievous bodily harm and assault resulting in death. On September 29, 2021, four-year-old Emilia died after undergoing dental surgery under general anesthesia at a dental practice in Kronberg. The little girl had broken a tooth while playing, which was to be repaired under anesthesia. According to the indictment, the bottle of anesthetic injected by the defendant was contaminated with the sprout fungus Candid and two other bacterial cultures.

Septic shock
When she woke up, the little girl got worse and worse. Instead of calling the emergency services, the German injected her with another dose of the anesthetic Propofol. When the doctor called the emergency services far too late, they were only able to determine that the girl had died. Emilia went into septic shock and her circulation failed.

During the trial, the anesthetist was arrogant and unreasonable. His lawyer read out a half-hearted apology: "I must have unknowingly made mistakes in hygiene."

I must have unknowingly made mistakes in hygiene.

Anwalt verlas Entschuldigung des Anästhesisten.

Same syringe used several times
Dr. W. is accused of using disposable syringes several times for cost reasons. He administered several drugs with a single syringe and, according to Bild, repeatedly left the children alone under anesthesia to save himself an assistant. On the day Emilia died, he administered a total of five general anesthetics, which resulted in serious complications. Several children subsequently had to be treated in intensive care and given artificial respiration. Some of them struggled with death.

Back in action just hours after Emilia's death
In Emilia's case, W. should have called the emergency services by 10 p.m. at the latest, according to the public prosecutor. However, this only happened at around 1 a.m. that night.

A gruesome detail: Only a few hours after the child's death, the accused anesthesiologist was back on the job. In Hesse, he administered a contaminated anesthetic to a five-year-old. This boy also fell seriously ill.

The German is facing several years in prison. Seven trial days have been scheduled for the time being and a verdict is expected at the end of September.