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PubMed · 8445184

Heroin body packers.

M J Utecht·A F Stone·M M McCarron
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Abstract

Fourteen body packers carrying 2-112 heroin packages are reported. Nine people swallowed the packets, and five inserted them rectally. The ingested packages were large and radio-opaque; they consisted of hard lumps of concentrated heroin usually covered with glove latex, white adhesive tape, and a toy balloon. There were two complications in the 14 patients. One patient developed a bowel obstruction; at laparotomy 8 packages were found in the stomach and 27 at the ileo-cecal valve. Another patient, with heroin wrapped only with black electrician's tape and no latex inner or outer wrappings, developed heroin intoxication, noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, and a bowel obstruction. Eighteen packages were surgically removed from his stomach and 26 from his bowel. We recommend bisacodyl suppositories, activated charcoal mixed with a 3% sodium sulfate cathartic, and phosphosoda enemas for package removal; close observation for heroin toxicity or bowel obstruction; and surgical intervention for continuing toxicity, retention of packages in the stomach, or bowel obstruction.

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Administration, OralAdministration, RectalAdultCrimeDrug PackagingForeign-Body ReactionGastrointestinal DiseasesHeroinHumansMaleRadiographyCase ReportsJournal Article

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M J Utecht, A F Stone, M M McCarron. Heroin body packers.. https://doi.org/10.1016/0736-4679(93)90007-t

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