Aspiration of the Nasal Septum: A New Complication of Cocaine Abuse
Authors: Daniel M. Libby, Ludwig Klein, Nasser K. Altorki
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1992)

Brief Report1 April 1992Aspiration of the Nasal Septum: A New Complication of Cocaine AbuseDaniel M. Libby, MD, Ludwig Klein, MD, Nasser K. Altorki, MDDaniel M. Libby, MDSearch for more papers by this author, Ludwig Klein, MDSearch for more papers by this author, Nasser K. Altorki, MDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-116-7-567 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptAltered mental status ranging from psychosis to coma occurs in over a quarter of patients presenting to emergency departments after use of cocaine and is second in frequency only to cardiopulmonary complaints (1, 2). Depression of the sensorium is an important risk factor for aspiration of foreign bodies into the tracheobronchial tree. Although the initial symptoms of cough, choking, gagging, and airway obstruction often lead to the correct diagnosis, an asymptomatic stage may follow when adaption to chronic stimulation of airway reflexes by the foreign body cause the diagnosis to be overlooked. Chronic cough, intractable wheezing, hemoptysis, postobstructive pneumonia, and...References1. CreglerMark LH. Medical complications of cocaine abuse. N Engl J Med. 1986;315:1495-500. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. BrodySlovisWrenn SCK. Cocaine-related medical problems: consecutive series of 233 patients. Am J Med. 1990;88:325-31. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Hollinger P. Foreign bodies in the air and food passages. Tr Am Acad Ophth Otol. 1962;66:193-210. MedlineGoogle Scholar4. GalasSchmitz DA. DNAse footprinting: a simple method for the detection of protein-DNA binding specificity. Nucleic Acids Res. 1978;5:3157-70. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. ShesserDavisEdelstein RCS. Pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax after inhaling alkaloid cocaine. Ann Emerg Med. 1981;10:213-5. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Rebhum J. Association of asthma and freebase smoking. Ann Allergy. 1988;60:339-42. MedlineGoogle Scholar7. CuccoYooCreglerChang ROLJ. Nonfatal pulmonary edema after "freebase" cocaine smoking. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1987;136:179-81. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. ItkonenSchnollGlassroth JSJ. Pulmonary dysfunction in 'freebase' cocaine users. Arch Intern Med. 1984;144:2195-7. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Schweitzer V. Osteolytic sinusitis and pneumomediastinum: deceptive otolaryngologic complications of cocaine abuse. Laryngoscope. 1986;96:206-10. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Daniel M. Libby, MD; Ludwig Klein, MD; Nasser K. Altorki, MDAffiliations: From the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York, New York. For current author addresses, see end of text. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byForeign Body Aspiration Getting Weird: Crack Pipe AspirationA debt repaid? A case of an unusual foreign body found in the nasal cavityJourney of the Nasal Septum Into the Lungs: A Unique Complication of Cocaine AbuseStimulants and the LungThe manifestation of cocaine-induced midline destructive lesion in bone tissue and its identification in human skeletal remainsPrenatal cocaine exposure alters progenitor cell markers in the subventricular zone of the adult rat brainPulmonary effects of illicit drug useMidline palatal perforationRespiratory toxicities from stimulant useDifferential effects of cocaine, alcohol, and nicotine dependence on olfactory evoked potentialsStimulant-Induced Pulmonary ToxicityNasal cocaine abuse mimicking midline granuloma 1 April 1992Volume 116, Issue 7Page: 567-568KeywordsCardiothoracic surgeryCocaineComaCritical careEmergency departmentMedical risk factorsPneumoniaReflexes ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 April 1992 PDF downloadLoading ...