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Gastric Obstruction by Opium Packets: A Case Report
Yeganeh Ramazani1, Ahmad Nemati1, Mohammad Moshiri2,3
1Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Background:
We reported a case of gastric obstruction in a body packer who swallowed a large number of opium packets.
Case Report:
A 36-year-old man opium addict visited the emergency department with epigastric pain for three days. He swallowed nearly 90 packets of opium for smuggling purposes four days earlier. He self-administered laxatives. In contrast, many times vomiting, he defecated only four packets and vomited one packet. The abdominal X-rays showed some amounts of fluid-air levels and multiple cylindrical opacities with the double-condom sign, corresponding to the distended stomach. Due to the worsening of his abdominal symptoms, he underwent an urgent laparotomy and 84 packets (4-6 cm in size and 8-10 g/ packet of opium) with a total weight of 870 g. They were wrapped in some layers of plastic and tied at the ends. He was discharged in stable condition.
Conclusion:
A large number of ingested drug packets can induce gastrointestinal obstruction.
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