Citation

Vale A. Medicine (Abingdon) 2007; 35(11): 607.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Medicine Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.mpmed.2007.08.010

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Cocaine is a psychomotor stimulant that inhibits re-uptake of monoamines into presynaptic terminals, thereby prolonging and augmenting their effects. Cocaine is also a powerful local anaesthetic and vasoconstrictor. In addition to euphoria, ventricular arrhythmias, acute myocardial infarction, stroke, acute dissection of the aorta, renal and intestinal infarction occur. Chronic intranasal use may cause perforation of the nasal septum and cerebrospinal rhinorrhoea as a result of thinning of the cribriform plate.