Student's death in October was accidental, according to toxicology report
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Wolcott
Business hospitality senior Michael Wolcott’s death on Oct. 30 was an accident, according to a toxicology report received from the Ingham County Medical Examiner earlier this week.
The report lists the cause of death as mixed drug intoxication.
Roger Wolcott, Michael Wolcott’s father, said the medications his son was on — Xanax and a pain medication for an injury he suffered in September — combined with his severe asthma and pneumonia contributed to a tachycardia episode. During the episode, which occurred while he was asleep, Michael Wolcott’s heart rate accelerated and oxygen exchange to the brain was compromised.
Michael Wolcott was found at 9:45 a.m. on Oct. 30, 2010 in his room Theta Chi fraternity house not breathing. A friend administered CPR. When the East Lansing Police Department arrived, Michael Wolcott was found to have no pulse.
The drugs directly responsible for the death were medical, said Ingham County Medical Examiner Dean Sienko.
“The reason he died was the morphine and the alprazolam (Xanax),” Sienko said.
East Lansing Police Department Capt. Tom Johnstone said no traces of alcohol were found in Wolcott’s toxicology report.
If the episode had occurred during the daytime, the incident might not have happened, Roger Wolcott said.
“During the day he may have just passed out, and then someone calls and says he passed out,” he said. “But because he’s sleeping and he’s snoring the whole night … he may have been passed out, but was still snoring and that compromises oxygen to the brain and eventually he goes into a coma.”
Roger Wolcott said the doses of medication found in his son were not at fatal levels. He also said the autopsy revealed fluid in his son’s heart and lungs.
“I’ve talked to half a dozen experts,” Roger Wolcott said. “Some think that it’s a tachycardia event which (decreases oxygen to the brain). Others think it’s the pain medication with the Xanax that compromises and depresses the oxygen.”
Roger Wolcott said he report confirmed what he was already sure of regarding his son.
“This just confirms the fact that’s it’s a tragic accident and life is so, so fragile,” Roger Woloctt said.
Commentary
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Cindy Lou
(01/06/11 8:56pm)Report
That’s really sad. Hopefully others can learn from this- that’s a pretty dangerous drug interaction even without a compromised respiratory system.
bobby
(01/06/11 9:50pm)Report
If there was a doctor that knew he was on both of those drugs… then that doctor should be in very big trouble. If they knew he was on xanax and prescribed morphine, then they should have at least warned him never to take them at the same time. I wonder if anybody told him it was dangerous.
Mary Scott RPh, CGP
(01/07/11 10:18am)Report
The drug combination was most likely not what killed him. It is the drug combination PLUS the fact that he had “severe asthma and pneumonia” These medications can cause respiratory depression on their own but combined with asthma was lethal. Every medication comes with patient drug sheets that warn patients of this. I would hope that, being an asthmatic, he would have been told that these medications can cause resp depression.
D
(01/07/11 11:25am)Report
I’m really glad they published this. So many people accusing him of drinking and assuming alcohol was involved. He didn’t even go out that night, he stayed in and watched TV. There is an article at the lansing state journal as well.
I hope this makes people realize not to jump to conclusions and tarnish a persons memory.
Kurt Wiesemes
(01/07/11 8:30pm)Report
Mike Wolcott was a good kid. As an active alumni of the Beta Zeta Chapter of Theta Chi I knew him on a first name and friendly basis. His passing is indeed a loss to not only our house but to the MSU community as well.
Wolcott was fun loving and sincere. He was not perfect, but none of us are. His friends and Brothers knew they could count on him if they needed his support and his family is in our prayers.