A 45-year-old male, body packer, who confessed to have swallowed 44 packages of cocaine in a total dose of approx. 360 g, was admitted to hospital because of clinical signs of acute intoxication with cocaine followed by ileus. The emergency surgical gastrotomy was initiated, and the conglomerate of Scotch tape and packages with cocaine were removed. Small rupture of one package of cocaine in a ...

Intracorporeal concealment of illicit drugs known as 'body packing' is uncommonly reported. A body packer with swallowed capsules containing Diacetylmorphine (heroin) for smuggling purposes presented with respiratory arrest and recovered after ventilatory support and nalaxone infusion.

Case: A 26-year-old man referred to emergency service with coma, bradypnea (respiratory rate = 4 breaths per minute) and pinpoint pupil. On chest auscultation, diffuse coarse crackle and on abdominal auscultation, decrease of abdominal sounds were found. At first evaluation, pulse oximetry showed 19% saturation of oxygen. After oxygen therapy with facial mask and infusion of 8.4 mg naloxone in ...

The current recommended treatment for cocaine "body packers" is surgical removal of the drug packages to prevent death due to cocaine poisoning. We describe 47 patients treated successfully with purgation and one patient who required surgery to remove packages obstructing the small bowel. Treatment decisions depend on the physical findings, the location of the cocaine packages in the gastrointe...