Abstract
Emergency departments are facing increasing drug-related health problems with difficult medicolegal and social consequences. A 25-year-old male with no past medical history arrived at our emergency department. He was brought to the emergency room of our hospital by the security forces, as he suffered a gunshot wound while traveling to a place. The cocaine-filled capsule was seen on plain abdominal film. The plain abdominal film is the most commonly used radiological tool to detect 2-8 cm drug-filled packages within the gastrointestinal tract of body packers. In a study that analyzed the role of drugs in firearm deaths in New York between 1990 and 1998, more than half of firearm deaths had positive drug toxicology. Physicians working in the emergency unit should be prepared for secondary diagnoses. In addition, different examination and imaging findings should be kept in mind in suspicious cases.
Supporting Institution
The authors declare no conflict of interest or any financial support.
Project Number
The authors declare no any financial support.
References
- Alfa-Wali M, Atinga A, Tanham M, Iqbal Q, Meng AY, Mohsen Y. 2016. Assessment of the management outcomes of body packers. ANZ J Surgery, 86(10): 821–825. https://doi.org/10.1111/ANS.13226.
- Asıl M, Dertli R. 2017. Successful endoscopic treatment of an unusual foreign body in the stomach: A package of heroin. Turkish J Trauma Emergen Surgery, 23(4): 354–356. https://doi.org/10.5505/TJTES.2016.93462.
- Fineschi V, Centini F, Monciotti F, Turillazzi E. 2002. The cocaine “body stuffer” syndrome: a fatal case. Forensic Sci Inter, 126(1): 7–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0379-0738(02)00011-7.
- Galea S, Ahern J, Tardiff K, Leon AC, Vlahov D. 2002. Drugs and firearm deaths in New York City, 1990–1998. J Urban Health: Bullet New York Acad Med, 79(1): 70. https://doi.org/10.1093/JURBAN/79.1.70.
- Gill JR, Lenz KA, Amolat MJ. 2003. Gunshot fatalities in children and adolescents in New York City. J Forensic Sci, 48(4): 2003004. https://doi.org/10.1520/jfs2003004.
- Group CMOE. 2013. The medical care of suspected internal drug traffickers – independent report of the chief medical officer’ s expert group. http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/01/independent-report-sidts/ (accessed date: September 24, 2021).
- Hergan K, Kofler K, Oser W. 2004. Drug smuggling by body packing: What radiologists should know about it. European Radiol, 14(4): 736–742. https://doi.org/10.1007/S00330-003-2091-5.
- Schmidt S, Hugli O, Rizzo E, Lepori D, Gudinchet F, Yersin B, Meuwly JY. 2008. Detection of ingested cocaine-filled packets—Diagnostic value of unenhanced CT. European J Radiol, 67(1): 133–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EJRAD.2007.07.017.
- Traub SJ, Hoffman RS, Nelson LS. 2003. Body packing — The internal concealment of illicit drugs. N Engl J Med, 349: 2519-2526.
Abstract
Emergency departments are facing increasing drug-related health problems with difficult medicolegal and social consequences. A 25-year-old male with no past medical history arrived at our emergency department. He was brought to the emergency room of our hospital by the security forces, as he suffered a gunshot wound while traveling to a place. The cocaine-filled capsule was seen on plain abdominal film. The plain abdominal film is the most commonly used radiological tool to detect 2-8 cm drug-filled packages within the gastrointestinal tract of body packers. In a study that analyzed the role of drugs in firearm deaths in New York between 1990 and 1998, more than half of firearm deaths had positive drug toxicology. Physicians working in the emergency unit should be prepared for secondary diagnoses. In addition, different examination and imaging findings should be kept in mind in suspicious cases.
Project Number
The authors declare no any financial support.
References
- Alfa-Wali M, Atinga A, Tanham M, Iqbal Q, Meng AY, Mohsen Y. 2016. Assessment of the management outcomes of body packers. ANZ J Surgery, 86(10): 821–825. https://doi.org/10.1111/ANS.13226.
- Asıl M, Dertli R. 2017. Successful endoscopic treatment of an unusual foreign body in the stomach: A package of heroin. Turkish J Trauma Emergen Surgery, 23(4): 354–356. https://doi.org/10.5505/TJTES.2016.93462.
- Fineschi V, Centini F, Monciotti F, Turillazzi E. 2002. The cocaine “body stuffer” syndrome: a fatal case. Forensic Sci Inter, 126(1): 7–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0379-0738(02)00011-7.
- Galea S, Ahern J, Tardiff K, Leon AC, Vlahov D. 2002. Drugs and firearm deaths in New York City, 1990–1998. J Urban Health: Bullet New York Acad Med, 79(1): 70. https://doi.org/10.1093/JURBAN/79.1.70.
- Gill JR, Lenz KA, Amolat MJ. 2003. Gunshot fatalities in children and adolescents in New York City. J Forensic Sci, 48(4): 2003004. https://doi.org/10.1520/jfs2003004.
- Group CMOE. 2013. The medical care of suspected internal drug traffickers – independent report of the chief medical officer’ s expert group. http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/01/independent-report-sidts/ (accessed date: September 24, 2021).
- Hergan K, Kofler K, Oser W. 2004. Drug smuggling by body packing: What radiologists should know about it. European Radiol, 14(4): 736–742. https://doi.org/10.1007/S00330-003-2091-5.
- Schmidt S, Hugli O, Rizzo E, Lepori D, Gudinchet F, Yersin B, Meuwly JY. 2008. Detection of ingested cocaine-filled packets—Diagnostic value of unenhanced CT. European J Radiol, 67(1): 133–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EJRAD.2007.07.017.
- Traub SJ, Hoffman RS, Nelson LS. 2003. Body packing — The internal concealment of illicit drugs. N Engl J Med, 349: 2519-2526.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Clinical Sciences |
| Journal Section | Case Report |
| Authors | |
| Project Number | The authors declare no any financial support. |
| Publication Date | January 1, 2023 |
| Submission Date | November 19, 2022 |
| Acceptance Date | December 7, 2022 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2023 Volume: 6 Issue: 1 |
