Nobody knew teenage cover girl Kristen Taylor had asthma until it was too late.
The 17-year-old model died of bronchial asthma, an undiagnosed condition that caused a rapid irregular heartbeat known as cardiac arrhythmia, Broward County's chief medical examiner said Tuesday.Dr. Joshua A. Perper said it was possible her condition was aggravated by using Primatene Mist, but he didn't believe it caused it.
Taylor was found unconscious July 2 by her sister, 20-year-old supermodel Niki Taylor, at the family's home in suburban Pembroke Pines.
An initial autopsy failed to show an obvious cause of death, but relatives said Kristen Taylor had been using Primatene Mist, a popular over-the-counter asthma remedy, because of shortness of breath. They said she had used the inhalant two hours before she died.
Her pediatrician, Dr. William Bruno, has said he never told her to use any respiratory medicine.
The 6-foot, 126-pound model had been using Primatene for about a year, Perper said. Tests showed that she had no alcohol or illegal drugs in her system when she died. There was no evidence of eating disorders.
Perper said Kristen Taylor's mother, Barbara Taylor, told him her daughter often was short of breath and wheezed. He said Bruno has denied being told of those symptoms.
"If the physician was not told of the (symptoms), it is going to be very difficult to find fault," Perper said.
Barbara Taylor contends she had discussed her daughter's symptoms with Bruno, but the conversations took place "either on the phone or in the hallway, and she doesn't know if he ever made note of it," said family spokesman George Dassinger.
The active ingredient in Primatene is epinephrine, or adrenaline, which raises blood pressure and increases the heartbeat while relaxing muscles in the bronchial tubes.