Battle Ground dentist charged with unprofessional conduct tied to patient death

The Washington State Department of Health’s Dental Quality Assurance Commission has charged a Clark County dentist with unprofessional conduct tied to the death of a patient in January 2018.

A statement of charges alleges that Ellis Burke Jardine, a prosthodontist who owns and operates Excel Dental in Battle Ground, didn’t report to the dental commission that a patient had suffered cardiac arrest, was admitted to a hospital and later died.

The statement of charges also alleges that Jardine didn’t record the patient’s adverse reaction to anesthesia, cardiac arrest and subsequent hospitalization in the patient’s medical record until a month after the event.

Dentists must “submit a report of any patient death or other life-threatening incident or complication, permanent injury, or admission to a hospital that results in a stay at the hospital for more than 24 hours, which may be a result or a dental procedure caused by a dentist or dental treatment,” according to the statement of charges.

The dentist must notify the health department by telephone, email or fax within 72 hours of discovery, and also must complete a written report to the commission within 30 days of the incident. The statement of charges is based on what it calls “alleged facts.”

Jardine still has an active credential status to practice dentistry. He didn’t respond to request for comment on Tuesday.

Public records show Geoffrey Bean, a King County dentist who administered the anesthesia, has had his anesthesia permit restricted in regards to this case, because he allegedly didn’t consult with the patient’s physician before administering anesthesia and didn’t report the event to the dental commission.

Bean is restricted from administering anesthesia to patients with medically complex conditions that are at higher risk for anesthesia-related complications, according to a DOH news release issued May 30.

Complex medical history

In January 2018, Patient A, as he’s called in the statement of charges, visited Excel Dental for an examination. Patient A was a 51-year-old man, born developmentally delayed. Patient A also suffered from epilepsy, diabetes, legal blindness, deafness, hypertension, hypothermia, anemia and left-sided weakness as the result of a July 2017 stroke, according to the statement of charges.

Patient A’s caregiver contacted Excel Dental on Jan. 2, 2018, requesting treatment for Patient A, according to the statement of charges. Jardine determined Patient A would need to be sedated for his dental examination because he was medically comprised, according to the statement of charges.

On Jan. 3, the patient was supposed to be seen for treatment, but his blood sugar levels were too low for him to go without eating, so the appointment was canceled. Later that afternoon, Patient A was seen in the emergency department at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver for dental pain, but he was not treated for it, according to the statement of charges. It was determined Patient A was suffering from low sodium levels in his blood and was given IV fluids. His caregiver was told to maintain his hydration. Another appointment was then made at Excel for Jan. 4.

Bean, a dental anesthesiologist, agreed to be responsible for Patient A’s anesthesia management, and reviewed Patient A’s medical records, according to the statement of charges.

Before the Jan. 4 examination, Patient A’s caregiver discussed Patient A’s health history with Bean. About 10 minutes after undergoing anesthesia, Patient A’s blood pressure began to decrease and he experienced a decreased heart rate, according to the statement of charges. Patient A then went into cardiac arrest and was transported to PeaceHealth. He later died.

No licensee at Excel, including Jardine, ever reported Patient A’s cardiac arrest, or hospitalization, according to the Dental Quality Assurance Commission. And there was no note of the cardiac arrest or hospitalization made in Patient A’s medical record until Feb. 5, 2018.

Jardine was served with the charges Aug. 30, and had 20 business days to respond — the DOH could not confirm Tuesday if he has responded. Jardine can ask to go through a settlement process, or can opt for a hearing. If he can’t defend himself against the charges, Jardine will be subject to discipline that could include being ordered to attend an educational program. He could also be fined or face suspension or revocation of his dental license.