A teenager who was suffering seizures was pronounced dead after waiting almost 14 hours for an ambulance, an inquest has heard. Two desperate 999 calls were made to help 19-year-old Bradley Holder.
11.04.2024 - 10:35 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Nitrous oxide abuse was a contributing factor in the death of a student from a blood clot, an inquest has heard.
Ellen Mercer, 24, was consuming two to three 'big bottles' of nitrous oxide daily, according to evidence presented at Berkshire coroner's court. She was taken to hospital by the emergency services in the early hours of February 9 last year, after she reported that she was unable to walk and would fall over when she tried.
She was treated by medical staff at Wexham Park Hospital Emergency Department, but she was found unresponsive about 24 hours later, at 00.52am on February 10, and was declared dead at 1.15am. The inquest heard that a post-mortem examination report found Ms Mercer's death to have been caused by bilateral pulmonary thromboembolism, deep vein thrombosis, and "long-term complications of nitrous oxide use".
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Ms Mercer was said to have spent the previous two weeks unable to leave her bed because of her abuse of the substance. In her conclusions, senior coroner Heidi Connor said that this immobility had contributed to her death.
"Ellen Mercer's death was caused by nitrous oxide abuse and immobility that led to the development of a pulmonary embolism," she said. "This case has highlighted how hugely dangerous it is to use nitrous oxide. It is the nitrous oxide which has been the significant cause of her immobility."
The inquest also heard that Ms Mercer had been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, but local services had failed to follow up on her mental health review. The inquest heard that emergency services attended the student's home on February 8.
Michaela Kirtley, an emergency
A teenager who was suffering seizures was pronounced dead after waiting almost 14 hours for an ambulance, an inquest has heard. Two desperate 999 calls were made to help 19-year-old Bradley Holder.
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