Fort Worth dentist arrested after child dies at dental office
Fort Worth dentist arrested after child's death
A Fort Worth dentist is in jail after a 4-year-old girl died during a dental procedure. An arrest affidavit for Dr. Chrishelle Hemphill details multiple mistakes, starting with a lethal combination of medications given to the child.
FORT WORTH, Texas - A Fort Worth dentist was arrested on Wednesday after an investigation into a child's death at her dental office in April.
Fort Worth dentist arrested
Chrishelle Hemphill, 48
What we know:
48-year-old Chrishelle Hemphill was arrested on July 15 and charged with injury to a child — serious bodily injury.
Investigators determined Hemphill was responsible for the April death of 4-year-old Aithana Arriaga at Cuddle Kids Dental in Fort Worth.
Dig deeper:
An arrest affidavit states Arriaga did not wake up following a procedure on her tongue performed by Hemphill on Apr. 1. The victim's mother told police she felt rushed to sign documents for the procedure by Hemphill.
According to the affidavit, Hemphill encouraged Aithana to drink a clear liquid medicine before the surgery. An unusually high amount of meperidine (demerol, an opiate) was found in the child's blood system.
A medical examiner said the amount in the child's system would have been toxic for an adult.
Investigators also found Hemphill failed to properly address signs of respiratory distress, and gave the victim improper medication to address an opiate overdose.
The affidavit states Hemphill held a popsicle up to Arriaga's lips when the child's head fell backwards. A temp dentist assisted with CPR before the child was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Hemphill used an AED to check the child's pulse after finding the victim unresponsive, despite Arriaga having a pulse. Flumazenil was also found in Arriaga's sytem to counteract the meperidine overdose, when Narcan should have been administered.
What they're saying:
"The last thing you would expect as a parent."
Fort Worth Police PIO Brad Perez says Hemphill had no prior disciplinary actions, and her dental license is still listed as active by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners.
Fort Worth Police PIO Brad Perez
Perez encourages parents to know their rights when taking their child to the dentist's office.
"The one thing I would suggest is if you feel like you want to be there when your child is having a procedure, insist on that," Perez tells FOX 4's Lori Brown.
"I believe this mother wanted to check on the child but was unable to do so as the procedure occurred. Perhaps the mother could have seen signs that the doctor did not at the time."
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Fort Worth Police Department.
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