Milwaukee boy, 9, dies after outpatient tonsillectomy surgery

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating the death of a 9-year-old boy who was pronounced dead only three days after outpatient tonsillectomy surgery.

The boy was found unresponsive at his home on Feb. 9 only hours after returning home from surgery. He was transported to a local children's hospital the same day and was pronounced brain dead three days later, according to WITI.

The preliminary manner of death has been ruled “undetermined” by the medical examiner. An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday.

According to the medical examiner’s report, the child’s father said the child had been dealing with tonsillitis since November of 2015. A decision was made to have the child’s tonsils removed. This was done on Feb. 9 at a clinic in Milwaukee.

The report indicates the child was given a dose of Oxycodone while at the clinic, and he was sleepy afterwards.

The child was discharged and brought home where his mother gave him a second dose of Oxycodone per the instructions, which called for 4.8 ml by mouth every four hours as needed for pain.

The child became tired again and laid down on the couch. Shortly thereafter, the child’s parents noticed his breathing was labored and “sounded odd.”

The mother called the surgical outpatient center to speak with a nurse, but within a couple of minutes, the father called 911.

When the child was taken to Children’s Hospital, the Oxycodone he was prescribed was brought to the hospital, and a sample of the medication was sent out to a third party to be tested, according to the report.

The results of Tuesday's autopsy have not been released.