Envenomations as a novel drug-seeking method
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Updated: Sep 29, 2026

Harvesting Venom Toxins from Assassin Bugs and Other Heteropteran Insects
Published on: April 21, 2018
Henry A Spiller1, Olivia E Schultz
1Kentucky Regional Poison Center, Kosair Children's Hospital, Louisville 40232-5070, USA.
Abstract:
Drug seekers have often sought narcotics and benzodiazepines through subjective reports of severe pain. We report 2 patients who claimed repeated envenomation to receive narcotic administration; 1 claimed black widow bite on 8 occasions at 7 separate healthcare facilities, the other claimed to have been bitten by a copperhead snake on 7 occasions at 4 separate healthcare facilities. A 3rd patient complained of lionfish envenomation with no tissue reaction and was refused analgesia. Inconsistent clinical presentations of envenomations may signal drug-seeking behaviors.
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