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Assessment of Cocaine-induced Behavioral Sensitization and Conditioned Place Preference in Mice
Published on: February 18, 2016
Cocaine body packing in pregnancy
Dwight R Cordero1, Carlos Medina, Andrew Helfgott
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
Annals of Emergency Medicine
|August 29, 2006
Summary
Body packing, or drug smuggling via ingestion, now involves diverse demographics, including pregnant women. A case highlights the critical need for modified management protocols in pregnant body packers, especially after packet rupture.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Toxicology
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Body packing is a method of drug smuggling involving internal concealment of drug packets.
- Traditional demographics of body packers were primarily young males, but this is evolving.
- Pregnant individuals present unique challenges due to physiological changes and risks to both mother and fetus.
Observation:
- A pregnant patient presented as a cocaine body packer.
- The patient experienced a cocaine packet rupture.
- A perimortem cesarean section was necessitated by the rupture.
Findings:
- Standard body packer management protocols may be inadequate for pregnant patients.
- Anatomical and physiological changes in pregnancy require protocol modification.
- Prompt intervention, including surgical delivery, may be life-saving in cases of packet rupture.
Implications:
- This case underscores the need for specialized protocols for pregnant body packers.
- Healthcare providers must be prepared for the unique risks associated with pregnant body packers.
- Timely and appropriate medical and surgical management is crucial for maternal and fetal survival.
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