title: Cocaine body packing in pregnancy.
abstract: Ingesting multiple packets of drugs ("body packing") is a well-described method of smuggling. Although older reports suggested that body packers were mostly young men, the demographics of this group may be changing because children, older patients, and pregnant women may be involved. Pregnant patients represent a challenge in management, particularly in the event of package rupture. Modification of standard management protocols, which were developed for nonpregnant body packers, may be necessary to address the anatomic and physiologic changes of pregnancy. We report the case of a pregnant cocaine body packer who required a perimortem cesarean section after the rupture of a cocaine packet. The care of the pregnant body packer is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Dwight R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Cordero
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Helfgott
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section; D003042:Cocaine / Q000506:poisoning*; D003415:Crime; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract; D006801:Humans; D010346:Patient Care Management; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine