A 24-year-old student in the US dies after prolonged usage of laughing gas. She reportedly consumed 2-3 large bottles of laughing gas daily.
The deceased was identified as 24-year-old Ellen Mercer. According to Berkshire coroner's court, the emergency services took Ellen to the hospital in the early hours of February 8 last year due to her difficulty in walking without falling over. Ellen was treated at Wexham Park Hospital Emergency Department. However, she passed away around 24 hours later at 12:52 am on February 10.
During the investigation, Senior Coroner Heidi Conner stated that nitrous oxide gas generally referred to as laughing gas contributed to part of her cause of the death. The post-mortem report of Ellen disclosed that Ellen Mercer's death has been caused by bilateral pulmonary thromboembolism, deep vein thrombosis, and long-term complications of nitrous oxide use.
On February 8, Michaela Kirtley, an emergency medical technician from Phoenix Response Services, a contractor affiliated with South Central Ambulance Service, visited Ms Ellen Mercer’s home. When Kirtley arrived at the location, Ellen’s boyfriend directed her to the bedroom.
Kirtley said that she noticed the room, there were no sheets on the bed at all. There was just the duvet, severely stained, and the room was empty. Kirtley asserted that the scene showed her that Ellen was dealing with a vulnerable person. Kirtley noticed that Ellen was talking normally, and the only one vital sign that was observed as abnormal was her heartbeat, which could have been due to anxiety.
Ellen Mercer told Kirtley that she had burned her legs after spilling a gas canister on them, which prevented her from walking and using the restroom for two weeks. Kirtley also noticed that 24-year-old Ellen Mercer looked to be six months pregnant. When Kirtley checked the wounds on Ellen's legs, which she depicted as pussy.
Ellen's boyfriend showed her a box of gas canisters, which she recognized as nitrous oxide. During the inquiry, Kirtley expressed that the weight of gas canisters was 600mg. According to Ellen's boyfriend, Ellen Mercer used to consume two to three bottles per day but she cut down in recent weeks. Ellen told Kirtley that she had lost consciousness and the bottle had fallen on her legs. After this, an ambulance took Ellen Mercer to the hospital.
At the time of Ellen Mercer’s death, keeping laughing gas for recreational purposes was not illegal. However, in November 2023, the government banned its usage and categorized it as a Class C drug. The probe is still in progress.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina/MSM)