[Needle spiking, injecting people with a substance without their knowledge or consent].

BACKGROUND

In the Netherlands therewereseveralreports on needlespiking: people have found themselvessubjectedtosurreptitiousinjections.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 23-year-old female was seenafterbeingsurroundedby a group of men andfeltwhatshethought was a jab. She was abletoevadethegroup. Several minutes later sheexperienceddizziness, nausea andvomiting. On physical examination, a bleedingpuncturewound was seen on her upper arm withaccompanying erythema. Toxicology on bloodand urine didnot show evidenceforintoxicationotherthan alcohol which was higherthanwouldbesuspectedbythenumber of drinks thevictimreported.

CONCLUSION

There is evidencethatpeople are puncturedwithneedles in busy surroundings like thenightlife. Possiblealso drugs are injected. Experiencedsymptomsbyvictims (n=19) wereheterogeneousandnotlikelyattributedtooneandthesamecausal drug. Toxicologydidnotrevealanysubstanceuntilnow.