[Body packer: review and experience in a referral hospital].
Smuggling of illicit drugs by concealing them within the human body (body packer) is a medical-legal issue that has increased in the last few decades. Physicians, especially those working in the emergency department, should be familiar with the diagnostic and therapeutic management -usually conservative management- of this type of patient and their possible complications. The present article reviews the general concepts and physiopathology associated with transport of packages in the digestive tract and describes the experience of a referral hospital with a protocol specifically designed for these patients.
Madrazo
Zoilo
Z
Servicio de Cirugía General y Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona), España. zoiluco@yahoo.es
Silvio-Estaba
Leonardo
L
Secanella
Luis
L
García-Barrasa
Arantxa
A
Aranda
Humberto
H
Golda
Thomas
T
Biondo
Sebastiano
S
Rafecas
Antoni
A
D003042:Cocaine; D003132:Commerce; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D011361:Professional Competence; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013030:Spain; D014186:Transportation; D014195:Travel
D003042:Cocaine