Death caused by overdose

NASHVILLE - The death of U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson's daughter was the result of an accidental drug overdose, according to a report from the Nashville medical examiner's office. Elizabeth "Betsy" Panici, 38, died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Jan. 30, six days after she was brought to the hospital's emergency room unconscious. Toxicology tests ordered by medical examiner Dr. Bruce Levy showed that Panici had six times the lethal level of hydrocodone, a painkiller, in her blood when she arrived at the hospital, The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville reported Saturday. On the day of her death, the senator's office reported that Panici died of a "severe brain injury resulting from cardiac arrest." Thompson's press secretary Harvey Valentine said Panici had been sick, but he declined to elaborate. A Feb. 21 report on Pancini's death, written by an investigator for the Nashville medical examiner's office, said she "reportedly had a history of bipolar disorder and a history of drug overdose of Ativan and Lortab." Lortab is a brand name for hydrocodone, and Ativan is an anti-anxiety medication. Levy said he classified Panici's death as accidental because there was no suicide note. He said people who abuse narcotics often develop a tolerance for the drugs, causing them to take progressively larger amounts to achieve the desired effect. Hospital records show Panici's husband, Ronald Panici, noticed his wife was "groggy" at about 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 24 and that she was "completely unresponsive" by 9 p.m., Levy said. Panici was not breathing and had no pulse when she arrived at the hospital at about 9:30 p.m. Hospital personnel revived her, but she never regained consciousness. Levy's phone number is unlisted, and he could not be reached Saturday. Thompson's Senate colleague Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said Panici's death "had an impact that was equal to or surpassing the impact of Sept. 11 when he had a strong calling to continue in public service." "Every public official has to understand there's a price you pay, and for the most part it's appropriate. ... But there are lines to be drawn," he said. "The news media have a responsibility, too. There's no reason to drudge up things that can only be harmful."