title: Cocaine found in a child's hair due to environmental exposure?
abstract: We report a case of a 6-year-old boy who had been living with his parents, both cocaine smokers, and who was urgently admitted to hospital for general distress. Upon examination, cocaine and cocaine metabolites were detected in hair and urine samples. These toxicological findings most likely indicate that the child had passively consumed the drug when living in a heavily contaminated environment.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Legale, Università Cattolica del Sacro, Cuore, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia A. Gemelli, Rome, Italy. fdegiorgio@tiscalinet.it
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Giorgio
authors.forename: Sabina Strano
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rainio
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiarotti
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000652:urine; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009294:Narcotics; D003042:Cocaine