European journal of vascular surgery
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A 35-year-old drug abuser inadvertently injected adulterated heroin into her left femoral artery and presented with critical ischaemia of her left leg. Treatment with intravenous Iloprost, a stable prostacyclin analogue, combined with Heparin, produced a dramatic improvement in her circulation within 4 h.
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The effects of intra-arterial injection of Temazepam are described in 11 drug abusers admitted over a 6 month period. All patients suffered severe ischaemia, and injection into the radial artery invariably resulted in tissue loss leading to amputation. The pathogenesis and options for treatment are discussed.