Cardiac monitoring during medical management of cocaine body packers.

The cardiac risk of cocaine body packing was studied by means of continuous ECG monitoring in 13 cocaine body-packers during spontaneous elimination. The packages were all well manufactured bundles (McCarron type 2) not susceptible to spontaneous breakage. At the beginning of the Holter study, packages were still present in the bowel of twelve patients (range: 2 to 196). The mean time of Holter recording was 46 h (range 16 h to 75 h). Ten patients eliminated all their packages during the time of Holter recording. No ECG modifications were recorded for all of the patients in regard to usually admitted standard requirements of the American Heart Association. While initial cardiac frequencies were within the normal range, a significant decrease of pulse rates was associated with the elimination of bundles. We conclude that the McCarron type 2 cocaine body-packers are not in impending danger of cardiac acute events allowing a non-surgical management of these individuals.