Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Cocaine intoxication presents a significant public health concern globally, with its use widespread in various regions. This case report outlines the challenging management of a 30-year-old male who presented with acute cocaine intoxication, leading to multiple organ failure and eventual death. The patient exhibited classic symptoms of cocaine intoxication preceding a fall, resulting in severe injuries. Despite aggressive resuscitative measures, the patient deteriorated rapidly, developing rhabdomyolysis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, acute kidney injury, and acute myocardial infarction. Differential diagnoses were considered, ruling out other possible causes. The patient's condition continued to worsen despite treatment, ultimately culminating in cardiac arrest and demise. This case underscores the complexity of managing acute cocaine intoxication and assessing many differential diagnoses, highlighting the importance of early recognition and aggressive intervention to mitigate adverse outcomes. In patients with altered mental status and hemodynamic instability, particularly in areas where drug use is common, cocaine intoxication should be considered as a possible cause.
Source: Cureus
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.72128
Authors: Mateus Rodrigues Alessi, Thiago Malheiros Ribas, Victor Setti Campelo, Sivan Mauer
Institutions: Universidade Positivo, Faculdade Evangélica do Paraná
Language: English
Subfield: Emergency Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4403639651