A medical examiner found a toxic level of meperidine in 4-year-old Aithana Rodriguez Arriaga’s system after a tongue-tie procedure, authorities allege

A Texas pediatric dentist has been arrested on accusations she administered a lethal dose of a sedative that caused the death of a 4-year-old girl during a dental procedure.

Chrishelle Hemphill, 48, was arrested on a warrant on Wednesday, July 15, on a charge of serious bodily injury to a child, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.

Authorities allege Hemphill administered meperidine, also known as Demerol, along with two other medications and nitrous oxide during an April 1 frenectomy at Cuddle Kids Dental to correct Aithana Rodriguez Arriaga’s tongue-tie.

The child, who was being treated by Hemphill, didn’t wake up following the procedure. Hemphill and a second dentist attempted CPR until medics arrived. The girl was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

A medical examiner determined that Aithana died from meperidine toxicity. A doctor told a detective that the dosage of meperidine found in Aithana’s system would be toxic for an adult, according to the affidavit.

“About 200 to 500 ng/mL of meperidine in a person’s system is typically therapeutic for an adult. The amount found in the victim was 793 ng/mL,” the affidavit states.

The affidavit also noted that the girl was allegedly given flumazenil — which is used to reverse the effects of benzodiazepine medications — in an attempt to resuscitate her.

A board-certified anesthesiologist who specializes in dental pediatrics told a detective that Aithana needed Narcan “to reverse the respiratory depressant effects of the opioid. Instead, they gave flumazenil (which reverses drugs she wasn’t given) and didn’t administer Narcan till much later in the hospital,” according to the affidavit.

“Throughout this investigation I have learned from Hemphill’s own statements, her staff’s statements and from medical professionals that there was evident neglect on Hemphill’s part that led to Aithana’s death,” the detective wrote in the affidavit.

The detective also wrote that Hemphill gave Aithana meperidine “in an amount that was found to be at a toxic level per the medical examiner” and then “failed to recognize the signs of respiratory distress in a timely manner” and then gave Aithana “the incorrect reversal medication for an opiate, giving flumazenil instead of naloxone/Narcan.”

Source: https://people.com/texas-dentist-charged-girl-died-during-dental-procedure-12021139