*A Pittsburgh teenager suffered cardiac arrest after consuming Panera Bread’s “Charged Lemonade,” according to a recent lawsuit.
Luke Adams, 18, of Monroeville, Penn., is the fourth reported instance of severe heart issues associated with the beverage. The beverage has “more caffeine in its large size than a 12-ounce Red Bull and a 16-ounce Monster Energy Drink combined,” the New York Post writes.
According to the complaint filed in Philadelphia federal court, Adams was rendered “unresponsive” and required defibrillation at a local movie theater on March 9 after consuming a Mango Yuzu Citrus Charged Lemonade.
Philadelphia-based attorney Elizabeth Crawford is representing the teen as well as three other cases involving heart issues associated with Panera Bread’s Charged Lemonade. This includes the families of two individuals who passed away.
A timeline of the lawsuits Panera is facing over its Charged Lemonade. https://t.co/XiiBOke7LL
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 1, 2024
Panera Bread discontinued the sale of the “Charged Lemonade” in May.
“Luke was a healthy 18-year-old with no underlying medical conditions before he drank one large Panera Charged Lemonade and went into cardiac arrest. He would have died if it was not for the heroic efforts of the medical professionals in the movie theater and at the hospital,” Crawford told The Post.
According to the complaint, Adams was admitted to intensive care, where he underwent intubation and required ventilator support due to acute respiratory failure. While in the ICU, he experienced a second seizure and regained consciousness two days later.
According to the lawsuit, his seizures were the result of “unclear etiology, possibly related to cardiac arrest secondary to caffeine intake from Panera Charged Lemonade,” per the lawsuit.
A cardiology report cited “heavy caffeine intake” as the “only potential trigger” of the teenager’s cardiac arrest.
Adams underwent the placement of a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator, which is linked to his heart. The pacemaker was installed as a precautionary secondary prevention measure, according to the lawsuit.
Click here to read a timeline of lawsuits that the food chain is facing over its Charged Lemonade.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Any Use of Marijuana Linked to Higher Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke, Study Says | WATCH
