A Toledo mother is seeking answers after she says she discovered a mysterious mark on her son’s neck following a dental procedure.
Nicole Keating said her 5-year-old son, who has autism, needed anesthesia, so the family took him to ProMedica Toledo Hospital for the procedure earlier this week.
“I was already freaking out that day because he had to have surgery and it just kind of made it a lot worse,” Keating said.
Keating said she first noticed faint red marks while leaving the hospital and pointed them out to her son’s father.
“We brushed it off and said maybe it was something from the procedure,” she said.
She said the marks darkened after they got home.
“It looked like a bite mark to us,” Keating said.
She said she contacted the dentist in search of answers.
“She said that they can’t explain it, there’s no tools, no equipment no medical reason for what could’ve caused it. They instructed us to go to the ER,” Keating said.
Keating said she then took her son to UTMC, where documentation shows he was treated for skin abnormalities.
“As soon as the doctor walked in, she immediately said, ‘That looks like a bite mark,’ but obviously, nobody knows exactly what happened, so they can’t medically say that’s what it is. They said that it does look suspicious. They took photos and said they were opening their own case to investigate,” Keating said.
A spokesperson said UTMC could not comment.
Keating said the mark was not present before the procedure at Toledo Hospital.
A ProMedica spokesperson issued this statement:
“ProMedica is committed to protecting patient privacy and complying with HIPAA requirements and therefore, does not confirm or discuss information regarding any individual’s patient status or care.
As a general matter, if marks were observed on a patient following a procedure, ProMedica’s standard practice would be to ensure that appropriate medical assessment and care are provided and to conduct a thorough clinical safety and quality review. This process is designed to support informed conclusions and, where appropriate, process improvement consistent with ProMedica’s commitment to patient safety.”
“I want to make sure that it isn’t what it looks like,” Keating said.
Keating said someone from ProMedica contacted her and said the hospital was bringing in a third party to investigate. A ProMedica spokesperson said they could not confirm this, citing HIPAA.
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