A 27-year-old, previously healthy man suddenly collapses at a party where both legal and illicit drugs are being used. En route to the hospital, he requires resuscitation with defibrillation to establish a normal cardiac rhythm. On physical examination, his temperature is 40deg C; respirations, 30/ min; heart rate, 110/min; and blood pressure, 175/90 mm Hg. He has dilated pupils, a perforated nasal septum, and a prominent callus on the right thumb. CT scan of the head shows an acute right frontal lobe hemorrhage. Which of the following substances is most likely responsible for these findings?
A 27-year-old, previously healthy man suddenly collapses at a party where both legal and illicit drugs are being used. En route to the hospital, he requires resuscitation with defibrillation to establish a normal cardiac rhythm. On physical examination, his temperature is 40deg C; respirations, 30/ min; heart rate, 110/min; and blood pressure, 175/90 mm Hg. He has dilated pupils, a perforated nasal septum, and a prominent callus on the right thumb. CT scan of the head shows an acute right frontal lobe hemorrhage. Which of the following substances is most likely responsible for these findings?
π‘ Explanation
**Core Concept**
The patient's presentation is consistent with a sympathomimetic toxidrome, characterized by hypertension, tachycardia, dilated pupils, and a prominent callus on the thumb (from habitual cocaine use). The acute right frontal lobe hemorrhage and perforated nasal septum further support this diagnosis.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
The patient's symptoms are consistent with cocaine overdose, which causes the release of norepinephrine, leading to increased sympathetic tone and hypertension. The acute right frontal lobe hemorrhage may be due to cocaine-induced vasospasm or hypertension. The perforated nasal septum is a classic sign of chronic cocaine use, which causes nasal mucosa destruction.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a hallucinogen that typically causes altered mental status, visual hallucinations, and a normal or slightly elevated heart rate, making it an unlikely cause of this patient's presentation.
**Option B:** Heroin is an opioid that typically causes miosis (pupillary constriction), respiratory depression, and decreased blood pressure, which does not match the patient's dilated pupils, tachycardia, or hypertension.
**Option C:** Amphetamines can cause a sympathomimetic toxidrome similar to cocaine, but the presence of a perforated nasal septum and the specific pattern of neurological findings make cocaine more likely.
**Option D:** Ecstasy (MDMA) can cause sympathomimetic effects, but it is less likely to cause a severe hypertensive crisis or acute hemorrhage.
**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
Cocaine use is associated with a high risk of cardiovascular complications, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiac arrest, due to its potent sympathomimetic effects.
**Correct Answer:** C. Cocaine.
β Correct Answer: C. Cocaine
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