Clinical toxicology : the official journal of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists
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Clin Toxicol (Phila) · Apr 2012
ReviewLevamisole in cocaine: unexpected news from an old acquaintance.
Levamisole is a pharmaceutical with anthelminthic and immunomodulatory properties that was previously used in both animals and humans to treat inflammatory conditions and cancer. Levamisole has been identified as a cocaine adulterant in the United States since 2003. By 2009, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) estimated that 69% of the cocaine seized contained levamisole. ⋯ These potential effects make levamisole an interesting choice as a cocaine adulterant. It seems unlikely that levamisole use as a cocaine adulterant will soon reach an end. More information is needed about the diagnosis and treatment of levamisole-induced complications, and the efforts of the medical and public health community is needed to face this challenging problem.
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The hospital mortality from acute poisoning in the western world is approximately 0.6%. However, this figure is based on series of consecutive cases, including mild intoxications. The aim of this paper was to investigate the mortality among poisoned patients with CNS depression on admission. ⋯ Based on the findings in this report, and on a literature search, about 30% of hospitalized poisonings have a significant CNS depression on admission. Based on our experience, cases of poisoning with a GCS score of 7-10 on admission do not seem to have a worse prognosis than poisonings in general. However, cases of poisoning presenting with deeper coma (GCS score 3-6) have a mortality rate approximately seven times higher than the overall hospital mortality from acute poisoning.