20-year-old Devmi died after fluid accumulated in her brain following a tooth extraction

It is common to seek medical treatment for a minor illness or physical pain. But no one would ever dream that the very treatment would become the killer that takes their life.

Such an extremely sad and unfortunate news was reported recently from the Horana area. A 20-year-old young woman who went to have a tooth extracted due to a common toothache has passed away due to complications said to have arisen after the treatment. According to the Horana Inquest into Sudden Deaths Court, the young woman who tragically died was Kottege Devmi Madushika, a resident of Pokunuwita, Bandarahena area. She was about 20 years and 10 months old when she passed away on Sunday (28) night.

The deceased daughter, Devmi Madushika, was a bright character loved by everyone in the area. She received her primary education from Horana Medhankara Maha Vidyalaya and studied Advanced Level in the commerce stream, becoming a prominent student in the school. Not only in studies but also in extracurricular activities, she excelled equally, serving as a student leader in the school and cultivating leadership qualities. Her passion for aesthetic subjects was immense. She studied dance for the G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination, achieving an excellent pass, and brought fame to the school by representing it in All-Island dance competitions. Appearing for the Advanced Level examination in the commerce stream, she passed all three subjects with two distinctions, achieving a high score, holding the dream of becoming a skilled accountant in the future.

She faced this unfortunate fate while preparing to reappear for the Advanced Level examination this year. In connection with the incident, her mother, Mrs. Madapatha Lakmali Priyadarshani, had given a heartfelt testimony at the Horana Inquest into Sudden Deaths Court. According to her, about a year ago, Devmi showed symptoms of increased heart rate when she was scared of something. Also, due to a long-standing headache, she had consulted a doctor at the Colombo National Hospital and received treatment, where a CT scan revealed that she had no abnormal medical condition. After several months of clinical treatment, her symptoms disappeared, and she subsequently lived a normal, healthy life.

However, for the past few weeks, she had developed a phlegm condition. On the 12th, the condition worsened, and on the night of the 13th, she told her mother that a tooth in her mouth was aching. Despite being given common painkillers at home, her pain did not subside. Accordingly, on the 14th, her parents took her to a private medical center in the area. Since it was a Sunday, they chose the private facility instead of a government hospital, and while waiting in line there, they also went to Horana Hospital to receive treatment for the phlegm condition and then returned.

After examining the tooth, the doctor at the private medical center recommended its extraction. When the necessary anesthetic injection was given for the tooth extraction with the mother's consent, the daughter felt faint. When the mother informed the doctor, the doctor stated that it was a normal condition. There were no particular difficulties during the tooth extraction, and they returned home with the prescribed medication. However, from the moment they arrived home, she experienced severe discomfort and refused to eat.

By the morning of the next day, the 15th, her condition had worsened significantly. She developed vomiting and diarrhea, and swelling and rashes were observed on her face. Her parents immediately took her to another doctor in the area, where it was observed that her blood pressure had dropped, and she was advised to be hospitalized immediately. Accordingly, although she was admitted to a private hospital, due to her critical condition, the hospital staff took steps to transfer her to a government hospital. She was brought to Horana Base Hospital by ambulance.

At Horana Hospital, doctors who examined her referred her to the intensive care unit, where kidney failure was initially suspected. While receiving treatment in the intensive care unit, she behaved very restlessly and screamed in pain. Doctors administered the necessary saline, oxygen, and blood transfusions. The doctors' conclusion was that a severe germ had entered her body and that she had pneumonia. Tests were also conducted for leptospirosis, but the reports did not confirm any disease.

Her condition deteriorated day by day, and due to a fault in the CT scan machine at Horana Hospital, doctors had to take her to Nagoda Hospital for a scan. According to those test reports, it was revealed that her brain was filled with water and abnormally swollen. Accordingly, preparations were made to transfer her to Colombo for brain surgery, but after Colombo doctors informed that surgery could not be performed due to her extremely critical physical condition, she was brought back to Horana Hospital.

This brave daughter, who continuously fought a battle between life and death in the intensive care unit, finally passed away around 8:30 PM on the 28th. Medical investigations are still ongoing to definitively determine the exact cause of her death. Although doctors asked the mother if she had walked in muddy water, the parents confirmed that their daughter had not stepped in mud, except for stepping in the water of Uyanwatta Lake on November 3rd. There is serious doubt among the family relatives whether the tooth extraction incident and a subsequent allergic reaction or germ infection in the body caused this death.

The demise of Devmi, the youngest daughter of Lakmali Priyadarshani and Chandana Kumara, residents of No. 287/3, Bandara Watta, Pokunuwita, has shocked the entire area. This loss has brought unbearable pain to her father, who works as an office assistant at German Tech Institute, her mother, and her only elder sister, Janindri Shashiprabha. It is a heartbreaking incident for everyone when a child, like a flower, goes for a minor treatment and never returns. The only hope of the parents is that a formal investigation into this death will be conducted to reveal the true cause. That bright young woman named Devmi Madushika, who had many future dreams, passed away prematurely, leaving a question mark before society regarding certain shortcomings or negligence in the healthcare sector.