Cocaine: A Provoking Risk Factor in Venous Thromboembolism

Cocaine is a highly addictive recreational drug that is a well-known cause of a variety of disease processes such as stroke, myocardial infarction, and even sudden cardiac death. In current literature, venous thrombosis secondary to cocaine abuse remains under-examined, while the harmful effects of the drug within the arterial vasculature are well-studied and understood. Our case presents a patient who was found to have a large pulmonary embolism and pulmonary infarction after several days of cocaine abuse. This report serves to raise awareness of a potentially life-threatening effect of this drug and to encourage prompt diagnosis and treatment of cocaine-induced pulmonary embolism.