Cocaine-induced chest pain and beta-blockade: an inner city experience.
BACKGROUND
Cocaine is the most common illicit drug used in patients presenting with chest pain to emergency departments. Data on beta-blockers in cocaine-related chest pain syndrome are sparse. We sought out to study the causal and detrimental effects of beta-blockers in cocaine-related chest pain in a large inner city cohort of patients.


RESULTS
All patients presenting to a large inner city emergency department with chest pain, with positive urine drug screen for cocaine were included. The group comprised predominantly young (mean age 46.8 +/- 8.2 years), African American (90.6%) males (73.4%). Evidence of myocardial infarction in the form of elevation of troponin-I was noted in 7.3%. Evidence of myonecrosis (MN) was significantly more likely in those who were taking beta-blockers at presentation as compared with those who were not (14% versus 4.4%, P < 0.01). In the absence of prospective controlled data, our observational findings seem to suggest that routine initiation or continuation or of beta-blockers after admission increased the likelihood of developing MN (23.3% versus 10.7%, P < 0.01) during the course of hospitalization.


CONCLUSIONS
MN as reflected by elevation of cardiac biomarkers is uncommon in patients presenting with cocaine-related chest pain. Preexisting use of beta-blockers seems to render a higher risk of myocardial injury in patients presenting with cocaine-related chest pain. In addition initiation or continuation of beta-blockers during hospitalization should be discouraged.
Mohamad
Tamam
T
Department of Cardiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
Kondur
Ashok
A
Vaitkevicius
Peter
P
Bachour
Khaled
K
Thatai
Deepak
D
Afonso
Luis
L
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000139:chemically induced*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D000075202:Contraindications; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000139:chemically induced*; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D015415:Biomarkers; D019210:Troponin I; D003042:Cocaine