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Helv Chir Acta. 1994 Dec;60(6):935-8. [Intestinal drug transport: a surgical problem?].  [Article in German] John H, Renner N, Schönenberger R, Harder F. Departement Chirurgie, Universitätskliniken des Kantonsspitals Basel.

The case of a 35-year-old man is reported, who presented himself in the emergency room with anxiety and hallucinations. He then passed a small oval pack consisting of a dark paste wrapped in cellophane with his stool.

This led to the suspicion of a "body packer syndrome" with cocaine intoxication.

The plain abdominal X-ray revealed multiple oval structures scattered over the entire gastrointestinal tract. Cocaine metabolites in the urine confirmed the diagnosis.

During the following whole-bowel irrigation the patient had a grand mal seizure.

In order to accelerate the retrieval of this threatening load, surgical evacuation was immediately executed. 78 packs containing 650 grams cocaine were removed through a gastrotomy and a coecotomy, respectively. Two of these packs were leaking.

Following an uneventful postoperative course the patient was discharged from the hospital 11 days later.

According to the literature the recommended treatment for cocaine body packers is whole bowel irrigation. Operative treatment is mandatory in cases of small bowel obstruction or drug intoxication due to leaking packs.

PMID: 7876014