Dentist May Face Malpractice Suit over Girl’s Coma

By Daniel Hawn

Published on September 27, 2006

On Tuesday, Clifford Law Offices filed a petition for discovery in order to obtain medical records from Little Angel Dental Clinic, where Dr. Hicham K. Riba practices. The family of five-year-old Diamond Brownbridge says that the little girl fell into a coma and suffered brain damage while being treated by Riba on Saturday.

A release put out by Clifford Law Offices claims that Diamond was over-sedated while being treated for two cavities. According to the family, Diamond was taken to the dental clinic by her mother, Ommettress Travis, who remained in the waiting room while Diamond was reportedly administered nitrous-oxide and intravenous sedation.

Travis said that when she checked on her daughter an hour later, Diamond wasn’t breathing and her eyes were rolled up in her head. Travis notified the office staff, whom she said seemed unaware, and Diamond was taken to Children’s Memorial Hospital, where she remains in a coma.

Officials said that Riba has been approved to use every level of anesthesia since 1997. Riba said in a statement that he has treated thousands of children over the years and used intravenous sedation on many of them. He asserted that Diamond was monitored at all times during her treatment.

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