A 16-year-old boy in the US has died after consuming a latte, a large Mountain Dew and an energy drink within two hours, according to a coroner. Davis Allen Cripe collapsed at his high school near Columbia, South Carolina, and died about an hour later.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said the teenager suffered a 'caffeine-induced cardiac event causing a probable arrhythmia'. An autopsy showed no underlying heart condition, and the boy was considered healthy. Watts emphasised that it was not the total amount of caffeine but the rapid consumption over a short period that proved fatal.
Davis weighed around 90kg and would not have been considered morbidly obese. The coroner warned that people should monitor their caffeine intake as they do with alcohol or cigarettes. The specific energy drink was not identified, but a witness said it was from a large container.
According to caffeineinformer.com, a McDonald's latte contains 142mg of caffeine, a 20-ounce Mountain Dew has 90mg, and a 16-ounce energy drink can have up to 240mg. The US Food and Drug Administration and European Food Safety Authority consider up to 400mg of caffeine per day safe for adults, but the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages caffeine consumption by children and teenagers.
Experts suggest that the teenager may have had an undiagnosed genetic heart condition. Professor Tony Heagerty of Manchester University said the caffeine likely interacted with a pre-existing heart issue. Mike Knapton of the British Heart Foundation noted that caffeine can increase heart rate and trigger palpitations, especially in those with cardiac abnormalities.
