Mum died on Mother's Day aged 33 after being prescribed 17 medications

Mum died on Mother's Day aged 33 after being prescribed 17 medications The inquest heard she could have been saved The family of a mum who was on 17 medications when she died aged 33 was told she could have been saved. Carrie-Anne Sladden suffered a cardiac arrest on Mother’s Day last year. She had several health issues, but at her inquest, coroner Ian Potter heard from medical experts that she had been overprescribed medication and was not correctly diagnosed before her death. Toxicology tests revealed fatal concentrations of two antidepressants capable of causing serotonin toxicity in her body. The hearing at Oakwood House in Maidstone was told that Carrie-Anne had a complex medical history, including chronic pain, respiratory disease, diabetes, Addison’s disease, a rare condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough hormones, and mental health problems. For Mother’s Day, Carrie-Anne and her then 15-year-old daughter, Olivia-Jo Moloney, had planned to surprise her mum, Helene Sladden, with a trip to Wetherspoon, followed by a visit to the cinema and arcade. But the plans were cancelled after Carrie-Anne, from Sheerness, in Kent, became unwell with what was thought to be a chest infection. Several calls were made to NHS 111 and 999 from March 29, 2025, as she struggled to breathe. Carrie-Anne went into cardiac arrest on March 30 and her sister Sarah-Louise Luckhurst, 38, performed CPR. Paramedics and an air ambulance crew tried to save her, but she died that evening. The inquest heard that concerns had previously been raised about the number of medicines Carrie-Anne was taking to manage her chronic pain, mental health and other conditions. Dr Christopher Olukanni, a clinical director at College Health, reviewed Carrie-Anne’s medication in December 2024 and found she was prescribed 17 or 18. GPs would raise concern if a patient was prescribed eight or more. These included powerful painkillers alongside antidepressants, diazepam and pregabalin, which is used to treat nerve pain and other conditions. Dr Olukanni said he was concerned about the number and combination of medicines, particularly the risks of sedation and breathing problems. At an appointment at Sheerness Health Centre on March 12, 2025, GP Dr Pragasam prescribed citalopram, an antidepressant, as a replacement for the trazodone she had been taking, saying he considered it safer. He told the inquest he understood Carrie-Anne had already stopped taking trazodone before he prescribed this change. However, her family questioned whether she had been clearly told how to stop one antidepressant before starting the other. The coroner said he could not make a detailed finding about exactly what advice had been given, but he found Dr Pragasam’s notes were inadequate. The GP accepted they could have been more detailed and said he would make fuller notes in future. The coroner also heard he had since changed his practice and was due to retire in January. Mr Potter said clinicians had recognised the risks associated with Carrie-Anne's medication, but there had been no coordinated plan to reduce the number of medicines she was taking. Following her death, toxicology tests revealed fatal concentrations of two antidepressants which are capable of causing serotonin syndrome. Pathologist Dr Mohammad Khan explained this occurs when there is excessive serotonin activity in the body, which can cause a life-threatening reaction. In Carrie-Anne's case, he said the condition had caused severe lung injury, with fluid filling her lungs and preventing sufficient oxygen from reaching her bloodstream. This ultimately led to acute respiratory failure. Dr Khan told the inquest Carrie-Anne could have survived if serotonin syndrome had been correctly diagnosed and treated earlier. The hearing also examined whether opportunities had been missed to get Carrie-Anne the medical help she needed in the hours before her death. South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) received several calls about her breathing difficulties. Paramedics attended on March 29, but she was not taken to hospital, with the service claiming she had refused to attend. Her family disputed this, saying she could barely speak at the time. A further call on March 30 was downgraded from an emergency response following a telephone assessment. She was advised to continue taking the antibiotics she’d been prescribed for her chest infection. A later call at 4.43pm reported that Carrie-Anne had gone into cardiac arrest. Her sister performed CPR while an ambulance crew and a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) team were sent to help. Despite their efforts, Carrie-Anne was pronounced dead at 5.50pm. The coroner said the decision to downgrade the earlier call had been unsafe and represented a missed opportunity for a face-to-face assessment. An internal audit carried out by SECAmb found that Carrie-Anne's breathlessness and Addison’s disease had not been properly explored during the telephone assessment. Mr Potter said he could not establish whether an in-person assessment or hospital admission would have changed the outcome. A SECAmb Trust spokesperson said: “We welcome the Coroner's careful consideration of the evidence and note his conclusion that he was unable to find that the shortcomings identified contributed to Carrie's death. However, we fully acknowledge the missed opportunity identified during the hearing for a further face-to-face clinical assessment. “We are committed to learning from every incident where there is an opportunity to improve. We will reflect on the Coroner's findings, review any learning arising from the inquest and take any necessary action to further strengthen our processes and reduce the risk of similar situations occurring in the future. Medical cause of death “We would like to extend our sincere condolences to Carrie's family and loved ones following her death.” He recorded Carrie-Anne's medical cause of death as acute respiratory failure caused by lung injury, resulting from serotonin syndrome and polysubstance toxicity, meaning the toxic effects of multiple substances. He found Carrie-Anne had not intended to overdose. At the end of the inquest, Mr Potter apologised to the family for their loss and thanked them for their continued participation in a process that had taken longer than anticipated. The family said they now intend to take their complaints further following the coroner’s findings. Olivia said her mum was not “just another patient” or a name on a medical record. She was a person who deserved to be listened to and given the care she needed. “My mum mattered. Her life mattered,” she said. “I will never get the chance to have my mum back.” The family said they wanted healthcare professionals to listen to patients, take their concerns seriously and investigate their symptoms. “Losing Carrie, a mum, daughter, sister and aunt, is heartbreaking enough,” they said. “To lose her so suddenly on Mother’s Day, through something that could have been prevented, has devastated us all.” Her family described Carrie as bright, funny and strong-willed, with a “fiery personality” and no filter. She loved baking cakes and biscuits, doing arty things and spending time with animals. Despite her health problems, they said she had a huge heart and loved unconditionally. Carrie-Anne leaves behind her siblings Donna Colwill, Sarah-Louise Luckhurst, Connor Sladden, her mum Helene Sladden, her daughter Olivia-Jo Moloney, 17, two nieces, four nephews and her brother-in-law Russ Colwill. NHS Kent and Medway have been contacted for comment.