Mother's concern over drug treatment

THE family of a "happy, fun-loving" teenager from Heamoor who died after a suspected epileptic seizure raised questions about her care at an inquest into her death.

Mount's Bay School pupil Zoe Gray, 15, was left almost half an hour before receiving medical attention despite being just five minutes from her local ambulance bay.

Her mother, Nicola, also criticised the use of the anti-epileptic drug chosen to treat her, but the coroner ruled there was no evidence to suggest to what extent the drug had played a part in her death.

An inquest at Truro City Hall heard the bright young student suffered a suspected epileptic fit shortly before 11am at her home in Heamoor on April 6 this year.

Mrs Gray found her collapsed in her room and rang 999 at 10.52am. It was 11.19am before an ambulance arrived and 11.39am when the schoolgirl was admitted to Treliske.

The consultant who tried to save the teenager's life, Mr Jonathan Paddle, told Coroner Dr Emma Carlyon: "If the time taken to get to hospital had been half an hour less then yes, that would have affected the outcome."

Better chance

He confirmed: "She would have had a better chance of a good outcome if there had been a shorter period of hypoxia (oxygen deprivation)."

Zoe lived with her father Ian, mother Nicola and her sister Danielle, 12, at Hea Close – approximately 28 miles from Treliske Hospital and five minutes from West Cornwall Hospital.

Ian Gray, a sales representative, told the court: "From the initial phone call at 10.52am the ambulance took 28 minutes to arrive at our home. We are close to Penzance and we were really surprised at that."

His wife, who works as a childminder, added: "I could have got down to the hospital in less time that that – we've looked at the NHS guidelines and for something as serious as this they do say eight minutes is the time within which the ambulance should arrive."

Pathologist Dr Rolf Hohle was at first unable to establish a cause of death but after hearing the family and doctors's evidence at inquest concluded: "The cause was probably sudden unexpected death in epilepsy."

Mrs Gray said she had concerns about the choice of anti-epileptic drug used by her daughter.

She said: "I think it was the drug. I just think from what we've read about how it affects cardiac aryhthmia that it was due to the Lamictal."

Mrs Gray, her sister Tanya Leggo and Zoe's grandparents Jennifer and Paul Leggo, presented evidence to the inquest of research carried out abroad investigating possible links between deaths in young girls and Lamictal.

Nurse Mary Parrett, who looked after Zoe and was involved in administering her medication, said Lamictal was chosen because it was "the drug of choice for women".

Narrative

Recording a narrative verdict Dr Carlyon said: "The death was entirely natural and the result of her epilepsy. There is no evidence to estimate the extent the drug has played in her death.

"Due to the fact that the ambulance service are not present at this inquest I intend to send them a copy of the inquest notes because there seems to be a perceived delay in their arrival to the patient to provide CPR.

"This is not to 'tell them off' but to tell them that there was a perceived delay so they can carry out clinical governance."

Paediatric specialist Dr Sue Munro told the court she would send a 'yellow card' report on Lamictal to regulatory agencies.

After the case Zoe's family said: "Zoe was the happiest, most fun-loving, caring person, she had a big personality which drew people to her and brought her many friends.

"Zoe exuded life and was full of hope and excitement with great expectations for her future.

"She will be missed by so many but will always be remembered for her enthusiasm for life and her everlasting smile. We feel proud and blessed to have had her in our lives but can only wish that things may have been different so that she was with us today."