A sleep-study patient at the Emory Sleep Center died because of “sudden cardiac death,” Emory officials announced yesterday.

Brandon Harris, a 26-year-old medical assistant who had sleep apnea, entered the sleep center on Jan. 22 for outpatient sleep study and died hours later, according to Emory Healthcare officials.

Sleep studies are tests that monitor the body while the patient is asleep, in order to detect the cause of the patient’s sleep problems, according to WebMD.

Harris’ family members raised questions about the hospital’s procedures during the study, blaming Emory Healthcare for not properly tending to Harris, and called for the sleep clinic to close pending investigation.

But according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, DeKalb Medical Examiner’s Office will not pursue an investigation because there “is no suspicion of foul play or medical wrongdoing.”

According to yesterday’s Emory Healthcare press release, Harris was monitored and videotaped throughout the study.

“At all times during the sleep study, Mr. Harris was monitored and the providers appropriately attended to him. According to the post-mortem examination, Mr. Harris died because of ‘sudden cardiac death,’ meaning that his heart stopped suddenly and without warning,” the release read.

However, in interviews with local news outlets, Harris’ mother and uncle said they had watched the video recording of the study and witnessed him waving for help several times during the study. Renee Lewis, Harris’ mother, told CBS Atlanta when she saw Harris’ body at the funeral home, “blood was all over his face and on his head, and that’s not consistent with a sleep study,” and called for an apology from Emory.

Lewis could not be reached for comment yesterday.

According to the National Institutes of Health website, the overnight sleep study records brain activity, eye movements, heart rate and blood pressure, as well as amount of oxygen in the patient’s blood, amount of air moving through breaths, snoring and chest movements.

Emory Healthcare confirmed that it provided Lewis and her representatives with medical records, including the autopsy report, and showed the video. But according to the release, the hospital cannot release the video “because it must be viewed on special software that can only be seen in the sleep lab, where there are ongoing studies.”

“Because Ms. Lewis has retained an attorney, Emory cannot have any further contact with Ms. Lewis or her representatives, and cannot comment any further on any allegations or on the details of the care provided to Mr. Harris. Emory remains committed to providing quality health care to all members of the community,” the release read.

Harris, who was overweight, had Type 2 diabetes and other medical conditions, and was on medication to treat them, Lewis said in an interview with the AJC.

All known heart diseases can lead to sudden cardiac death, and irregular heart rhythm that occurs when the electrical impulses in the heart become rapid and/or chaotic cause the heart to suddenly stop, and sudden death among young adults are more likely caused by heart abnormalities, the release read.

“In 90 percent of adult victims of sudden cardiac death, two or more major coronary arteries are narrowed by fatty buildups. Scarring from a prior heart attack is found in two-thirds of victims,” according to the release.

In an AJC interview, Lewis called for the Emory’s sleep center to close.

“I want to tell them to prove it and show the video,” Lewis told AJC. “There is no doubt that my child would still be alive today if he had gotten help.”

According to the release, staff members attended Harris’ funeral and Emory made a donation to “help pay for the funeral after learning that Mr. Harris had recently lost his life insurance.”

— Contact Michelle Ye Hee Lee