Case report describing the presentation of a 32-year-old man with syncope and chest pain following crack cocaine use.
Alerts clinicians to consider cocaine use in young adults with syncope and chest pain; leaves open need for larger studies on incidence and management.
A 32-year-old man with a history of asthma and “crack” cocaine use presented to the emergency department after an episode of syncope. Earlier that evening, he had smoked crack cocaine several times. Shortly after his last use, he began to have sharp chest pain, which radiated to his shoulders and was associated with dizziness and diaphoresis, followed by a sudden loss of consciousness. His wife, who witnessed the event, described him as “foaming at the mouth” and having involuntary trembling of his arms and legs. He was brought immediately to the emergency department.The patient reported no shortness . . .
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Nallamothu et al. (2001) studied this question.
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