Cardiovascular Complications of Cocaine Use

The deaths of several celebrities in recent years in association with the nontherapeutic use of cocaine have focused widespread attention on the problem of cocaine abuse. In 1999, an estimated 25 million Americans admitted that they had used cocaine at least once; 3.7 million had used it within the previous year; and 1.5 million were current users. During the same year, cocaine was mentioned in 30 percent of all drug-related visits to emergency departments.1 Cocaine is the most commonly used illicit drug among subjects seeking care in hospital emergency departments or drug-treatment centers. In addition, it is the most frequent . . .