title: Heroin body packers.
abstract: Fourteen body packers carrying 2-112 heroin packages are reported. Nine people swallowed the packets, and five inserted them rectally. The ingested packages were large and radio-opaque; they consisted of hard lumps of concentrated heroin usually covered with glove latex, white adhesive tape, and a toy balloon. There were two complications in the 14 patients. One patient developed a bowel obstruction; at laparotomy 8 packages were found in the stomach and 27 at the ileo-cecal valve. Another patient, with heroin wrapped only with black electrician's tape and no latex inner or outer wrappings, developed heroin intoxication, noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, and a bowel obstruction. Eighteen packages were surgically removed from his stomach and 26 from his bowel. We recommend bisacodyl suppositories, activated charcoal mixed with a 3% sodium sulfate cathartic, and phosphosoda enemas for package removal; close observation for heroin toxicity or bowel obstruction; and surgical intervention for continuing toxicity, retention of packages in the stomach, or bowel obstruction.
authors.affiliation: University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Utecht
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: McCarron
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000285:Administration, Rectal; D000328:Adult; D003415:Crime; D004349:Drug Packaging; D005549:Foreign-Body Reaction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003932:Heroin / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: D003932:Heroin