Clinical course of crack cocaine body stuffers.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical course of a cohort of patients presenting to the emergency department with acute crack cocaine body-stuffer syndrome.


METHODS
We conducted a retrospective cohort study in the ED of a county hospital with 75,000 visits per year. Our study cohort comprised all patients who presented between January 1993 and April 1995 and who met the definition of a crack cocaine body stuffer. We defined a crack cocaine body stuffer as anyone who admitted to or was strongly suspected of ingesting crack cocaine as a means of escaping detection by authorities, not for recreational purposes or as a means of transporting the drug across borders.


RESULTS
We identified 98 cases; most such patients were brought to the ED by law enforcement agents. Most were male and younger than 30 years. Self-report by patients indicated that the amount of crack cocaine ingested ranged from 1 to more than 15 rocks. Most commonly the drug was unwrapped (28%) or wrapped in a plastic sandwich bag (29%). Generalized seizures developed in 4% of the patients; in all these patients seizures occurred within 2 hours of ingestion. In no patient did dysrhythmias develop. Many patients had minor signs of cocaine intoxication: 54% were tachycardic, 23% were hypertensive, 22% were agitated, and 19% required sedation.


CONCLUSIONS
Mild cocaine intoxication is common in crack cocaine body stuffers, with seizures occurring within 2 hours of ingestion in a small percentage of patients.
Sporer
K A
KA
Department of Emergency Services, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, USA.
Firestone
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D016578:Crack Cocaine / Q000506:poisoning*; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology*; D004435:Eating; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors
D016578:Crack Cocaine