Unusual Complications in Cocaine Stuffers: A Case Report
Introduction: Body stuffing is defined as ingesting small quantities of drugs in poorly sealed packets, often to avoid repercussions from law enforcement. Cocaine is one of the drugs most commonly involved. Complications reported with stuffing include aspiration, esophageal obstruction, and fatal to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eScholarship Publishing, University of California
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/72x1f6hk |
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| author | Hassan Al-Balushi Andres Guzman-Soto Kyle Suen Al Yaqdhan Al Atbi Ziad Kazzi Jonathan de Olano Todd Taylor |
| author_facet | Hassan Al-Balushi Andres Guzman-Soto Kyle Suen Al Yaqdhan Al Atbi Ziad Kazzi Jonathan de Olano Todd Taylor |
| author_sort | Hassan Al-Balushi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Body stuffing is defined as ingesting small quantities of drugs in poorly sealed packets, often to avoid repercussions from law enforcement. Cocaine is one of the drugs most commonly involved. Complications reported with stuffing include aspiration, esophageal obstruction, and fatal toxicity. Survival from mechanical airway obstruction due to drug stuffing has not been reported. Case Report: We present a case of a 32-year-old male who was a cocaine body stuffer, complicated by agitated delirium, cardiotoxicity, and airway obstruction requiring resuscitation, followed by a surgical tracheostomy to retrieve the obstructing cocaine bag. The patient’s hospital course was further complicated by rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury requiring dialysis. He was discharged in stable condition after a four-week hospital stay. Conclusion: This case highlights the severe risks of cocaine body stuffing, including airway obstruction and cocaine-induced arrhythmias. Endotracheal intubation in such cases warrants a careful airway assessment to mitigate the risks of obstructive complications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e304f37885534c07b624da8226a5a9cc |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2474-252X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | eScholarship Publishing, University of California |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-e304f37885534c07b624da8226a5a9cc2025-08-20T01:53:36ZengeScholarship Publishing, University of CaliforniaClinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine2474-252X2025-03-019219319510.5811/cpcem.39681cpcem-9-193Unusual Complications in Cocaine Stuffers: A Case ReportHassan Al-Balushi0Andres Guzman-Soto1Kyle Suen2Al Yaqdhan Al Atbi3Ziad Kazzi4Jonathan de Olano5Todd Taylor6Sohar Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ministry of Health, Muscat, OmanEmory University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Medical Toxicology, Atlanta, GeorgiaEmory University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Medical Toxicology, Atlanta, GeorgiaEmory University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Medical Toxicology, Atlanta, GeorgiaEmory University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Medical Toxicology, Atlanta, GeorgiaEmory University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Medical Toxicology, Atlanta, GeorgiaEmory University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Medical Toxicology, Atlanta, GeorgiaIntroduction: Body stuffing is defined as ingesting small quantities of drugs in poorly sealed packets, often to avoid repercussions from law enforcement. Cocaine is one of the drugs most commonly involved. Complications reported with stuffing include aspiration, esophageal obstruction, and fatal toxicity. Survival from mechanical airway obstruction due to drug stuffing has not been reported. Case Report: We present a case of a 32-year-old male who was a cocaine body stuffer, complicated by agitated delirium, cardiotoxicity, and airway obstruction requiring resuscitation, followed by a surgical tracheostomy to retrieve the obstructing cocaine bag. The patient’s hospital course was further complicated by rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury requiring dialysis. He was discharged in stable condition after a four-week hospital stay. Conclusion: This case highlights the severe risks of cocaine body stuffing, including airway obstruction and cocaine-induced arrhythmias. Endotracheal intubation in such cases warrants a careful airway assessment to mitigate the risks of obstructive complications.https://escholarship.org/uc/item/72x1f6hk |
| spellingShingle | Hassan Al-Balushi Andres Guzman-Soto Kyle Suen Al Yaqdhan Al Atbi Ziad Kazzi Jonathan de Olano Todd Taylor Unusual Complications in Cocaine Stuffers: A Case Report Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine |
| title | Unusual Complications in Cocaine Stuffers: A Case Report |
| title_full | Unusual Complications in Cocaine Stuffers: A Case Report |
| title_fullStr | Unusual Complications in Cocaine Stuffers: A Case Report |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unusual Complications in Cocaine Stuffers: A Case Report |
| title_short | Unusual Complications in Cocaine Stuffers: A Case Report |
| title_sort | unusual complications in cocaine stuffers a case report |
| url | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/72x1f6hk |
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