U.K. dentist investigated after patient dies from mouth rinse allergy

A U.K. dentist is being investigated after a 30-year-old patient died, allegedly from an allergic reaction to a mouth rinse.

During an inquest this week, the Brighton County Court heard that Sacha Rumaner's anaphylactic shock was mistaken for a heart attack or an epileptic fit, the Argus reported.

During a postextraction follow-up in February, Dr. Labina Rhamen and her nurse cleaned Rumaner's socket with Corsodyl mouthwash, which contains chlorhexidine.

Rumaner, who was considered vulnerable due to learning disabilities, then began complaining about being hot and itchy, according to the article. Shortly afterward, she collapsed in the dental chair, stopped breathing, and had no pulse. The staff did not administer adrenaline or chest compressions, according to the Argus.

Dr. Rhamen told the court that her training was up to date and agreed that one of the main causes of collapse in dental surgeries is anaphylactic shock. However, she also said that while Rumaner had the features of an anaphylactic reaction, "at the time I did not make the association."