'Fit, sporty' teenager, 16, dies after collapsing and
going into cardiac arrest while doing her homework
- - Arabella Campbell collapsed at home on May 11
- - She was found by her mother who called an ambulance
- - Rushed to Croydon University Hospital but medics weren't able to save her
- - Coroner concluded she died of Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome (SADS)
- which caused her heart to stop beating
By EMMA INNES
|
A healthy schoolgirl collapsed while she was doing her homework and died, an inquest has heard.
Arabella Campbell, 16, who was described as ‘a fit, sporty child’ suffered Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome (SADS).
She went into cardiac arrest while she was studying in her bedroom at her home in Beckenham, Kent, on May 11.
Arabella Campbell, 16, died after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest at home. Her death has been put down to Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome which caused her heart to stop beating
Arabella, a pupil at Langley Park School in Beckenham, was found by her mother but died at Croydon University Hospital.
Coroner Dr Roy Palmer told the inquest into Arabella’s death: ‘She had no significant medical history, she was a fit, sporty child with no history of drink and drugs.
‘She and her family had been out together during the day on a family outing.
‘When they returned home she went to her room to study, but when her mother went up to see her she found her unresponsive on her bed.
‘An ambulance was called at 10.38pm, and arrived at 10.45pm.
‘They found her on the floor unresponsive and started CPR.
Arabella was rushed to Croydon University Hospital when her mother found her unresponsive on her bed. Medics tried repeatedly to save her but their efforts were unsuccessful
‘She was brought in to Croydon University Hospital at 11.38pm, where they worked on her through a number of cycles but sadly couldn’t do anything.
‘She was pronounced dead at 12.20am.’
The hearing at Croydon Coroner’s Court heard a post-mortem examination found Arabella had a normal heart and that her toxicology reports came back negative, leading to the conclusion that her death was a result of SADS.
WHAT IS SADS?
In about one in five cases of sudden cardiac death in young people no definite cause of death can be found.
This applies even once drugs have been excluded as a cause and a pathologist has examined the heart for structural abnormalities.
These deaths are attributed to SADS.
It occurs when a cardiac arrest is brought on by a problem with the electrical functioning of the heart, even though the person has no disease affecting the heart.
The syndrome refers to genetic heart conditions that can cause sudden death in young, apparently healthy people.
Dr Palmer added: ‘There were no injuries or natural disease processes that could have caused her death.
‘I therefore conclude the cause of death was sudden adult death syndrome and return a conclusion of death by natural causes.’
In about one in five cases of sudden cardiac death in young people no definite cause of death can be found.
This applies even once drugs have been excluded as a cause and a pathologist has examined the heart for structural abnormalities.
These deaths are attributed to SADS.
It occurs when a cardiac arrest is brought on by a problem with the electrical functioning of the heart, even though the person has no disease affecting the heart.
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