Abstract

RAZZETO-RIOS, Luis, RAZZETO-RUBIO, Luis and VALENZUELA, Germán. Clinical cardiovascular entities associated to nasal cocaine use in a Peruvian population. An. Fac. med., June 2008, vol.69, no.2, p.84-87. ISSN 1025-5583.

Objetives: To determine the frequency of clinical entities associated with inhalation cocaine use in a Peruvian population. Design: Prospective, descriptive, series of cases type study. Setting: Hospital Edagrdo Rebagliati Martins, EsSalud, teaching hospital, and Clinica San Felipe. Participants: Patients attended from 1991 through 2006. Main outcome measures: Symptoms and clinical entities associated to nasal cocaine use. Results: In 63 patients evaluated, median age was 35 years; 53 (84%) were male, 96% had previously used cocaine. Symptoms appeared before 2 hours lapse in 78%; 81% had abnormal electrocardiograms. Reported symptoms were chest pain (59%), palpitations (27%), convulsive crisis (5%), hypertermia (3%) and headache (6%). Associated clinical entities were acute coronary syndromes (49%), ventricular arrythmia (25%), myocardial infarction (10%), hypertensive crisis (5%), and death (11%). At follow-up 76% continued using cocaine, frequently during the first six months (63%). Conclusions: Cocaine inhalation use was associated to important cardiovascular clinical entities, most of them serious. We recommend complete patients’ evaluation in the emergency room, including complete anamnesis focused on illicit substances use.

Keywords: Heart; cocaine; symptoms, clinical.