Twice in two days, two seemingly healthy people fell ill at metro Atlanta schools. One was an assistant principal; the other a high school student. Both were transported to the hospital, but neither survived.
The culprit? Blood clots.
A Dacula High School student's death was attributed to a blood clot in his leg that traveled to his lung, Ted Bailey, Gwinnett County Medical Examiner, said Wednesday. Christopher Smith, 18, died Tuesday after becoming ill as third-period classes began. Smith, a senior, was transported to the hospital, where he died.
Smith's death came just a day after Jeffrey Henderson, an assistant principal at Lithia Springs High School in Douglas County, died after going into respiratory distress at school. Henderson, 32, also died from a blood clot, a condition known as a pulmonary embolism. Randy Daniel, Douglas County coroner, said Henderson had experienced leg pain over the weekend.
The two sudden deaths came as a shock to each school community, where grief counselors assisted both students and teachers.
A researcher with the Centers for Disease Control told the AJC that blood clots are the cause of 100,000 deaths a year in the United States.
"The majority of people who die with a clot are never diagnosed," Scott Grosse, a research economist, told the AJC. "Or their death is attributed to a heart attack."
Sudden death is the first symptom in about a fourth of all those who have a pulmonary embolism, according to the CDC. Once a person develops a blood clot, he or she is likely to develop another one.
Grosse, a member of the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said the symptoms of a blood clot can also mimic pneumonia. But if overlooked, clots can be fatal.
Typically, blood clots will develop in a leg, anywhere from the foot up to the thigh, Grosse said. There are many causes, but those that develop clot are often sedentary, have another underlying medical condition, or have recently had surgery or an injury, he said. Being overweight and having a family history of blood-related conditions are also contributing factors, according to the CDC.
"When the blood vessel is damaged, the damage to the blood vessel can cause a clot to form," Grosse said.
Symptoms, if present, include swelling, pain and discoloration of the skin, according to Grosse. The skin may also feel warm to the touch, he said. Anyone experiencing symptoms should seek medical treatment immediately.
Visitation is planned Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Henderson, who previously taught and coached soccer at Chapel Hill High School. Henderson's funeral will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Jones-Wynn Funeral Home, Villa Rica Chapel.
Arrangements for Smith have not yet been announced.
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