title: Prognosis of cocaine body-packers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the prognosis and complications of cocaine body-packing (concealment of cocaine in the body for transportation between countries).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the files of all cocaine body-packers hospitalized during a 4-year period in a medico-judiciary emergency unit. Subjects included in the survey were identified from the hospital databases using ICD-10 codes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Medico-Judiciary Emergency Unit of Hôtel-Dieu university hospital in Paris is a unique medical and surgical emergency unit receiving all patients in legal custody arrested at the two Paris international airports and suspected of body-packing.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the cases of cocaine body-packers (n=581) hospitalized between January 1999 and December 2002 were studied. They had been arrested at Paris airports while arriving from drug-producing countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean number of carried packets was 70.0+/-20.4 (range 18-150). The mean duration of hospitalization was 5.0+/-1.6 days (range 1-18). No complication occurred in 573 body-packers cases. Eight subjects developed a complication requiring admission to an intensive care unit: six acute cocaine intoxications due to packet rupture and two intestinal occlusions. No one died. Surgical treatment was necessary in six cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Good prognosis observed in these body-packers cases is due to the careful monitoring of asymptomatic patients, allowing early detection and treatment of complications. Surgical removal of the packets when complication occurs is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory and Intensive Care Unit, Hôtel-Dieu, 1 Place du Parvis de Notre-Dame, 75004, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de Prost
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Questel
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pourriat
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huchon
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rabbat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003042:Cocaine / Q000506:poisoning*; D003415:Crime; D004349:Drug Packaging; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010297:Paris; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine