title: Starch and talc emboli in drug addicts' lungs.
abstract: The lungs of eight drug addicts dying as a consequence of their habit have been examined. All showed the presence of small amounts of talc emboli and five the presence of starch emboli. Talc was invariably associated with a marked foreign body reaction which was insignificant in association with starch. Animal experiments showed very rapid (90% in 24 hours) removal of maize starch emboli; such rapid removal in man would explain the lack of a foreign body response. Quantitation of the amount of starch present in lungs from two of the cases gave values of 1.5 and 5.2 g. The higher amount could have been a contributory factor in the sudden death of the addict. The amounts of talc seen were not sufficient to be of clinical significance.
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000652:urine; D000328:Adult; D000438:Alcohols / Q000652:urine; D000654:Amobarbital / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001463:Barbiturates / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005549:Foreign-Body Reaction / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects; D008691:Methadone / Q000652:urine; D009020:Morphine / Q000652:urine; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000097:blood; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000473:pathology; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology*; D051381:Rats; D012631:Secobarbital / Q000097:blood; D013213:Starch / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D013627:Talc / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D001463:Barbiturates; D013627:Talc; D012631:Secobarbital; D000082:Acetaminophen; D009020:Morphine; D013213:Starch; D000654:Amobarbital; D010424:Pentobarbital; D008691:Methadone