Who was Sarah Katz? Family files lawsuit as college student who taught CPR dies after drinking ‘charged lemonade’
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student, died after drinking Panera Bread’s “charged lemonade”, a beverage that contains more caffeine than cans of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined, according to a lawsuit filed by her parents.
The lawsuit, as reported by NBC News, alleges that the drink is “defective in design because it is a dangerous energy drink” and that Panera failed to warn consumers about its ingredients.
Sarah Katz suffered from long QT syndrome
Katz had a heart condition called long QT syndrome type 1 and avoided energy drinks at the recommendation of her doctors, the lawsuit says.
She purchased a charged lemonade from a Panera Bread in Philadelphia on September 10, 2022, and went into cardiac arrest hours later, said her roommate and close friend Victoria Rose Conroy, as per NBC.
“She was very, very vigilant about what she needed to do to keep herself safe,” Conroy said.
“I guarantee if Sarah had known how much caffeine this was, she never would have touched it with a 10-foot pole," Conroy added.
What is the long QT syndrome Sarah Katz was diagnosed with?
Long QT syndrome, which can be managed by medication, is a disorder of the heart’s electrical system.
It can cause abnormal heart rhythms as a result of exercise or stress, according to the American Heart Association.
Katz had been diagnosed with long QT syndrome at the age of five, according to Elizabeth Crawford, a partner at Philadelphia-based law firm Kline & Specter, PC.
In addition to medication, Katz’s condition was controlled by regular doctor visits where “everything was always normal,” Crawford said.
The SADS (Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes) Foundation mentions she was diagnosed with the syndrome after having seizures when she was swimming.
Treated with beta-blockers, Sarah continued to have "clean bills of health", it mentions, which is why his family was shocked when she died at 21.
When did Sarah Katz die?
Katz collapsed on the evening of September 10, 2022, while at a birthday gathering for a friend at a restaurant, Conroy said.
Emergency personnel transported her to the hospital, where she had another cardiac arrest, this time fatal, the lawsuit says.
A medical examiner’s report that Crawford shared with NBC News showed that Katz’s cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia due to long QT syndrome.
The report has not reportedly mentioned the beverage as a contributing factor, however, it notes that she had no drugs in her system other than what the hospital used to try to resuscitate her.
Sarah Katz was remembered as 'the most passionate person'
Katz was an excellent student and “the most involved and passionate person I’ve ever met,” someone who would smile and wave to everyone on campus, Conroy mentioned.
She had taught CPR in high schools and underserved communities and organized teams for the Wall Street Run & Heart Walk.
In recognition of her efforts, Katz received awards from the American Heart Association in 2013 and 2015.
She also worked with Project ADAM and at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a research assistant – and introduced a bill to Pennsylvania state legislators advocating that all Pennsylvania schools become certified heart-safe spaces.
She was in the process of bringing CPR training to Pennsylvania, her school friends carried on her efforts and held a CPR certification class after she passed away.
“She was taken from us so soon, and she shouldn’t have been,” Conroy said, adding “She had so much more to give.”