[Atypical "body packing syndrome"--a case report]

Area of Science:

• Forensic Toxicology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Body packer syndrome, often associated with drug smuggling, typically involves a large number of ingested packets.
• This case presents an atypical scenario where death was classified as body packer syndrome despite unusual circumstances.

Observation:

• A deceased individual, a known hard drug consumer, was found with only four intact cocaine packages in the upper gastro-intestinal tract.
• The patient survived for four days in the hospital after initial resuscitation.
• Cocaine concentrations in blood and organs were found to be relatively low, yet potentially lethal.

Findings:

• The case highlights that body packer syndrome can occur with a small number of packets and a delayed presentation.
• Atypical temporal relationships and packet counts can complicate the diagnosis of body packer syndrome.

Implications:

• This case underscores the importance of considering body packer syndrome even in atypical presentations.
• The discussion includes the potential benefit of induced vomiting in preventing fatal outcomes in suspected body packer syndrome cases.