 There was a 'lost opportunity' to carry out a potentially life-saving test on a teenager who died from a rare genetic condition triggered by drinking a protein shake, a coroner has said. Rohan Godhania, 16, of Ealing, west London, fell ill after drinking the shake on August 15, 2020, and died three days later at West Middlesex Hospital after suffering 'irreversible brain damage'. A post-mortem examination just over a week later could not ascertain his cause of death – a late onset of the rare disease ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, an inquest has heard. This was because his liver and kidneys were donated for transplant before the mystery of his sudden illness was solved. His cause of death was not revealed until months later when the recipient of his liver was admitted to hospital. OTC prevents the breakdown of ammonia, causing it to build up to lethal levels in the bloodstream, and can be triggered by a protein load. Concluding Rohan's inquest at Milton Keynes Coroner's Court in Buckinghamshire on Friday, senior coroner Tom Osborne said: 'I find that on August 15 Rohan was given a protein shake purchased from a supermarket and that this triggered an acute reaction. 'I find that Rohan suffered from OTC deficiency that was unknown to him and his family at the time.' He called Rohan's death a 'tragedy', adding: 'There is no doubt that this was a young man with a bright future ahead of him.' Mr Osborne said Rohan was admitted to West Middlesex Hospital, part of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where advice was taken from the neurologists at Charing Cross Hospital who said 'he should be tested for ammonia', but this test was not carried out. Rohan fell ill after drinking the shake on August 15, 2020, and died three days later (Picture: PA) In a n){kind=link}
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There was a ‘lost opportunity’ to carry out a potentially life-saving test on a teenager who died from a rare genetic condition triggered by drinking a protein shake, a coroner has said.
Rohan Godhania, 16, of Ealing, west London, fell ill after drinking the shake on August 15, 2020, and died three days later at West Middlesex Hospital after suffering ‘irreversible brain damage’.
A post-mortem examination just over a week later could not ascertain his cause of death – a late onset of the rare disease ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, an inquest has heard.
This was because his liver and kidneys were donated for transplant before the mystery of his sudden illness was solved.