Clinical study
A clinical study of an epidemic of heroin intoxication and heroin-induced pulmonary edema

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Abstract

An epidemic of heroin overdose is described which occurred over a seventeen-month period and involved 149 patients who were predominately young, black or Puerto Rican males. The major complications were pulmonary edema (48 per cent), pneumonia (30 per cent), cardiac arrhythmias (4 per cent) and death (8.7 per cent). Hypoxia appeared to be the cause of the pulmonary edema and cardiac arrhythmias. A treatment protocol is outlined with emphasis on the need for oxygen therapy.

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    Present address: 120 Millburn Avenue, Millburn, New Jersey 07041.

    1

    From the Department of Medicine, Montefiore-Morrisania Affiliation, Morrisania City Hospital, New York, New York.

    Present address: Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Eastchester Road and Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461.

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