Child who died after dental procedure at private clinic in Plovdiv had been under general anesthesia for 4 hours

The Prosecutor's Office is investigating a medical error as the possible cause of the death of a 6-year-old child after a dental procedure at a private clinic in Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv. According to the state public Prosecutor’s Office, negligent execution of medical duties appears to be related to the administration of the anesthesia. What has been established so far?

• "Medical Supervision" starts inspections in medical facilities in Plovdiv following the death of a child after anesthesia at a dentist

The Prosecutor’s Office in Plovdiv has appointed several expert examinations, which are expected to shed light on the tragic incident. According to initial findings by the Regional Health Inspectorate (RHI), all medical standards and requirements were followed during the procedures performed at the private clinic, and the cause of death remains unclear at this stage. The boy was placed under full anesthesia for dental procedures that lasted four hours. He later regained consciousness but experienced a sudden and severe deterioration an hour later and passed away.

Residents of the village of Belashtitsa, Plovdiv district, where the child’s family lives, said the boy was healthy and attended the local kindergarten with his younger brother.

“The child was last at kindergarten on Thursday morning. Afterwards, the parents had planned for dental treatment — that was their decision. Psychologists are currently speaking with the teachers, myself, and representatives of the parents of children from the group,”
said Lidiya Gorinova, director of the kindergarten in Belashtitsa.

A preliminary investigation has been initiated by the Prosecutor's Office for negligent execution of medical duties related to the administration of anesthesia. The first inspection by RHI-Plovdiv found no violations of medical protocol. The procedures were carried out in the clinic’s equipped operating room, with prior consultations conducted and informed consent obtained from the family.

“As far as I know, there is no protocol stating that a specific type of anesthesia — whether local or general — must be used. Most likely, this was a preference expressed by the parents,”
noted Dr. Argir Argirov, Director of RHI-Plovdiv.

The child was placed under general anesthesia due to severe dental decay and multiple infected teeth. The entire procedure lasted four hours. He came out of anesthesia normally, but his condition deteriorated one hour later.

"Help was given to the child from the time he was found to be in critical condition. This has been done in the clinic, which has sufficient qualified medical staff,”
explained the RHI-Plovdiv Director.

An ambulance was called, and the child was transferred to the Pediatric Clinic of the University Hospital, but efforts to save him were unsuccessful.

Despite multiple attempts by the BNT news team, the private clinic has not given comments on the incident. However, specialists have commented that there are loopholes in the law because there is no explicit requirement that only dentists holding pediatric dentistry specialty work with children.

“To put it simply, there are no regulations for dental treatment of children under general anesthesia in outpatient settings. I keep hearing unbelievable things about what goes on in different places, and no one is monitoring it. No one — believe me,”
commented Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emilia Ilieva, pediatric dentistry specialist.

In response, the Executive Agency for Medical Supervision has initiated emergency inspections at several medical facilities in Plovdiv.