Intestinal Infarction after Intravenous Cocaine Administration

Excerpt

Cocaine is a leading and rapidly growing cause of drug toxicity and drug-related mortality (1). Although it is well known that cocaine can produce myocardial and cerebral infarction (2-4), little is known about cocaine-induced ischemic damage to other organs. We report a case of acute mesenteric ischemia after intravenous administration of cocaine, which extends previously reported observations (5, 6).

Case Report A 38-year-old thin male intravenous cocaine abuser was found at work to be lethargic but arousable after intravenously self-administering 4 grams of cocaine the previous day. The patient had myalgias, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. He denied chest pain,

This 100-word excerpt has been provided in the absence of an abstract.

Article and Author Information

  • From the University of Medicine of New Jersey—Robert Wood Johnson (Rutgers) Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey. For current author addresses, see end of text.

  • Requests for Reprints: Mitchell S. Cappell, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine/Gastroenterology, University of Medicine of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0019.

  • Current Author Addresses: Drs. Freudenberger, Cappell, and Hutt: University of Medicine of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0019.

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