Norfolk woman dies from paracetamol overdose treating flu

Nicola Price began to feel unwell on the flight home from Tenerife and on her return picked up some over-the-counter painkillers which she began dosing up on.

She lived on her own and when her mother, Beryl, and brother, William, went to visit her they found her "gasping" and "wheezing".

She was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where she died seven days later, having suffered multiple organ failure.

An inquest into her death, held at Norfolk Coroner's Court this week, heard that there was a dispute over whether medical staff were told she had been taking the medication.

The inquest into Nicola Price's death was held at Norfolk Coroner's Court (Image: Newsquest)

Her family told the hearing they had informed ambulance staff when they took her to hospital on December 29 last year.

But both workers said this was not the case, otherwise they would have included it in their handover notes.

Because hospital staff were unaware of the painkiller use, they instead focused on treating Miss Price's respiratory issues and did not test her blood for paracetamol intake.

She was given steroids and antibiotics and issued with a nebulizer to assist with her breathing issues.

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The day after she was admitted, when her breathing improved, she managed to tell the next doctor she saw, Christoper Atkins, that she had "taken the lot" when asked about paracetamol consumption.

It is not clear exactly how much of the painkiller she took.

Dr Atkins then arranged for "urgent blood tests" which confirmed Miss Price had "accidentally overdosed" through a "staggered consumption".

Nicola Price died at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on January 5, 2024 (Image: Newsquest) By January 3, Miss Price's liver had improved, though as a result, she was suffering from kidney failure and could not breathe by herself.

Miss Price, who was suffering from a series of underlying health issues, passed away on January 5.

Yvonne Blake, the coroner, said she was "satisfied" that Miss Price, of Jekyll Road in Wymondham, was "appropriately treated".

The main medical cause of death was given as multiple organ failure due to, or because of, an acute liver injury related to an accidental paracetamol overdose.

Ms Blake concluded that Miss Price died of natural causes.