Abstract

BLANCO, M. et al. Cerebral haemorrhage in adults associated with the use of cocaine. Cuad. med. forense [online]. 2005, n.41, pp.221-228. ISSN 1988-611X.

Cocaine is the second most frequent illegal drug consumed in Spain after cannabis. A significant increase has occurred in the number of individuals treated in emergency departments after cocaine use just as in the number of cocaine-related deaths. These rates have been actually multiplied by six in the latest years. Cocaine causes injury in different organ systems, even death. In the CNS the use of cocaine is frequently associated with cerebral haemorrhage. Stroke in young adults below 45 years is usually related to drug use between 9,5% and 34% of cases, and cocaine is the most frequently mentioned drug. Otherwise, even 50% of cocaine-related stroke is the result of rupture of saccular aneurysms involving the arteries at the base of the brain and vascular malformation. In this paper, we present three cases of sudden death in adults due to cerebral haemorrhage associated with cocaine use.

Keywords : Sudden death; stroke; cocaine.

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