BA Stewardess: Inquest Verdict

[neutral99]

The Inquest into the death of the BA Stewardess who died in Nairobi found that she died of Natural Causes, probably after suffering a seizure (an epileptic fit).

Early Press speculation linking her death to DVT turned out to be completely unfounded.

The Coroner urged the makers of the anti-smoking drug Zyban to give clearer warnings about its use after linking it to the death of a 21-year-old air stewardess.
Kerry Weston died from an epileptic seizure after taking Zyban, the anti-malarial drug chloroquine and sleeping pills.

Alan Lawson, the Hertford Coroner, said that in the light of Ms Weston’s death, GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Zyban, should give doctors more information about when to prescribe it. He said that Zyban was “incompatible” with chloroquine.

Miss Kerry Weston, from Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, was found dead in her hotel room in Nairobi, Kenya, a fortnight after she was prescribed Zyban. She had told her GP, Mark Andrews, that she was desperate to give up smoking. She failed to tell him that she had suffered epileptic episodes in 1997 and during the week before her death.

During the inquest Howard Marsh, senior medical adviser for Zyban at GlaxoSmithKline, admitted that patients with a history of seizures should be prescribed Zyban only with “extreme caution” and it should not be given to epileptics. At least 360,000 people have been prescribed Zyban in Britain since it was licenced in June last year and 37 patients have died.

Chloroquine is a well-established anti-malaria drug which has been used safely for years. Zyban is still a new drug and is still on doctors' "Black Triangle" List - to be prescribed with great caution and the side effects closely monitored.

BA was represented by PPruNe's FLYING LAWYER, aka Barrister Mr Tudor Owen.

[Pointer]

How can there be a natural cause when she clearly died of "incompatible" drugs?

She couldn't smoke of her job, and she had to take antimalaria drugs because of her job. Looks like there is ample room for improvement on the monotoring part!

If incomaptibility of diferent drugs is established, was the cause primairy the fact that she had already had epeleptic seasures? or were the previous seasures also to thank to "wrong cocktails"?

Don't think i question the proffesionality of the people involved! but to state that she died of natural cause is questionable to my opinion!

My sincerest simpathy to family and friends!

Pointer

[twistedenginestarter]

Lot's of people have siezures and die. Is there any actual evidence Zyban was the cause?

Nobody has quite said that yet.

[Pointer]

As stated above it is the opinion that the mix of drugs were reason for suspision not just Zyban

Pointer

[MaximumPete]

Please, please can we all learn from this very sad event and make those around us aware of the possible dangers of mixing prescribed drugs.

Your GP is not clairvoyant and can only run with the information YOU give him. He is there to help you.

[neutral99]

As I understand it from various reports in the Press:
Kerry had 'funny turns' back in 1997, before she took any drugs, which might have been minor seizures/epileptic fits.
Her GP had her back for a check-up a fortnight after she started taking Zyban (to stop smoking). She told him that she'd had no problems. For some reason which nobody knows, Kerry didn't tell her GP that she'd passed out for 10-15 minutes on one occasion, had a 'funny turn' on another occasion, and she'd attended an emergency doctor for a check up.
It was not certain that she died of a seizure. Two doctors/patholgists disagreed about this. One said definitely not. The other said it was probable but he could not be certain.
The Coroner decided she had probably died of a seizure, but there wasn't enough evidence to be beyond reasonable doubt.
Chloroquine is a mild drug, has been around for years, and has a good safety record. In theory, it lowers your resistance to fits (which we all have) but the risk is so small that it is regarded as a safe drug and you can buy over the counter without a prescription.
Over-the-counter sleeping tablets (for example Nitol) also lower your resistance but the risk is so small you also don't need a prescription for it.
Zyban is a stronger drug, available onlt on prescription. It is still new, and doctors must only prescribe it with caution, safeguards and monitoring. Nobody knows why she told the GP she'd had no problems, when she had.
The Coroner had to mention all three drugs, because she'd taken three. But, IF she died of a seizure/fit, then Zyban is the one that's much newer, and still on the 'Caution' list.
It's still very much speculation whether Kerry actually had a fit, or sadly dropped dead for reasons which will never be known. About 5-8% deaths are of healthy people and the cause can't be discovered.

[Devils Advocate]

Now did I miss something.... but I don't quite understand how a Cabin Crew member was working at BA, when / if they've a history of (using the above mentioned expression) 'funny turns' ?!

[This message has been edited by Devils Advocate (edited 28 April 2001).]

[The Zombie]

If you don't tell they don't know........