Preliminary results of an interdisciplinary survey of drug victims.
In an interdisciplinary study, 53 cases of drug-related death were investigated. Forty per cent of these cases exhibited acute or chronic hepatitis; foreign body granulomas were detected in 30%. By CT-scan of the left lung, small abscesses and pneumonic focuses could be localized. The spectrum of bacterial strains isolated from lung tissue did not differ significantly from that of a control group. Severe alterations of the testes, i.e. reduction of spermatogenesis, was present in a considerable number of cases. The high rate of myocarditis diagnosed (18%) supports the idea that besides acute intoxication, drug-related death is due to multifactorial origin.
Keul
H G
HG
Senckenbergisches Zentrum der Pathologie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Schäfer
V
V
Lörcher
U
U
Schneider
M
M
Lutz
F U
FU
Reuhl
J
J
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002423:Cause of Death; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology