A teenager died after accidentally overdosing on paracetamol tablets.
Seventeen-year-old Georgia Littlewood, known as ‘George’ to her family, died in hospital with three times the safe level of the drug in her body.
And as a Coroner highlighted the concerns of the drug being readily available, a member of the teenager’s family also called for changes to the system.
The relative, who did not want to be named, added: “You can buy a packet for 19p.
“Pharmacists should have to tell people of the dangers when buying them and you should not be able to just go into a cheap shop and buy them.”
The inquest at Huddersfield heard that Georgia had been rushed to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary on March 29 after she became delirious, following complaining of a stomach ache and being sick to her mum and boyfriend the previous day.
Neither of them had seen her take any tablets during that time or earlier.
Georgia, an apprentice administrator at Housing Diversity Network in Crosland Moor and former Royds Hall Community School pupil, was transferred to the specialist liver unit at St James University Hospital in Leeds but died the following evening after staff were unable to do anything to save her.
Richard Sykes, principal analyst at West Yorkshire Analytical Services who analysed samples of her blood serum, found the level of a compound called ALT, which indicates serious liver damage, had reached a reading of 7,000, far above the safe level of 35.
This was in addition to finding 65 microgrammes of paracetamol in one millilitre of Georgia's blood, much more than the safe 20microgrammes in one millilitre dose.
He was, however, unable to ascertain how much she had taken and when, although said the tablets would likely have been taken “some time” before her death.
Her mum, Joanne Littlewood-Booth, said: “Ages ago I had given her some her liquid Ibuprofen tablets which she put in her drawer.
“After she was taken to hospital I looked and found it was empty, as were two packets of paracetamol in a cupboard but they had all been there for a long time and I never saw her take any tablets or go buy any.
“I believe that the overdose was a complete accident. She was making plans to go away on holiday and seemed to enjoy her job – I don’t think she knew what the correct dose was.
“She was a lively girl who had her whole life in front of her.”
George’s doctor, Dr Ishtiaq Gilkar said that she was fit and healthy with no mental health problems and no previous history of self harm or suicidal thoughts.
Commenting on the case, in which it was ruled that George died of hyper acute liver failure caused by an accident, assistant coroner Mary Burke highlighted the dangers of paracetamol.
She said: “We have an opportunity to highlight the risks in order to avoid any one else having to go through the distress and upset now being gone through by her family.
“It’s a readily available medication but can be extremely dangerous – the dose limits are there for a reason and if one doesn’t comply with that there could be tragic consequences like this case.”
