Evaluating the rupture effects of swallowing illiat drug packings, resulting in deaths, repering to legal Medicine centre in Tehran during 5 years (1999-2004)

In the present study, we surveyed the death of cadavers due to ingestion and then rupture of illicit drug (opioid) packings through swallowing or inserting into body carities or orifices which were referred to Legal medicine centre in Tehran from 1999 to 2004. Out of all these cases, 13 were due to opioid intoxication because of rupture of ingested illicit drug packings, these cases were referred by Law enforcement, hospitals or were discovered by Autopsy in unknown cases of death of referred cadavers. Necessary data (including epidemiological and etiological) were gathered through guestionnaires. Majority of deaths were in 20-62 age group, (46.5 percent). Married, (31.46 percent) unemployed, (84.61 percent) with history of addiction, (61.53 percent) with history of offense. Leading to imprisonement, were other common groups. The most common drugs discovered were opium (84.61%) and herion and hashish. The most common place of packings in the alimentary Tract was Undetermined, the least common place was stomach (23.7 percent). The lighest packing weighed 20gr and the heaviest 1400 gr. The highest number of packs was 60 and the least 1 pack. The cause of death (61.53 percent) was unknown in 61.53% of cases and 30.76 percent were due to leakage of swallowed packings, and 76.92 percent due to rupture of swallowing packings. Fear of punishment, not referring to hospitals becsuse of fear of informing Law enforcement by hospital stuffs, and also lack of knowledge of hazards of smuggling the illicit drugs through body packing and complications due to leakage er rupture of packages and lack of ability of diagnosis and Treatment in most hospitals have increased the mortality rate among body packing smugglers.