Body Packing Of Illicit Drugs: An Incidental Radiological Diagnosis In A Covid-positive Patient

Body Packing Of Illicit Drugs

Abstract

BackGround:
Body packing, which involves the internal concealment of illicit drugs to smuggle them across borders, remains one of the most critical diagnosis and management issues and remains difficult to understand, especially when discovered incidentally. Often such drugs' concealment during packing may radiate within the body and emit signals during necessary scans conducted for other evaluation conditions, radiological imaging plays a crucial role in these cases. This paper aims to present a peculiar case of body packing detected in a patient with COVID-19 who was simply undergoing routine scans, raising questions regarding the regular course of management for infectious and criminal matters. The case also raises critical issues of how imaging assists in solving critical cases within complex and overlapping clinical cases.
Case Presentation:
A 31-year-old male, a chronic abuser of mawa, presented with complaints of fever, constipation, abdominal pain and altered level of consciousness. COVID-19 PCR was done and the patient was found positive for the virus. The patient was started on initial management with isolation. Further progression of the patient’s symptoms necessitated the imaging investigations during which hyperdense capsules were observed in the gastrointestinal tract congenial to the diagnosis of body packing. Toxicology results confirmed the presence of opiate. During endoscopy, a retrieval of two capsules was performed, but the patients’ clinical condition continued on deterioration, the patient developed quadriparesis and coma and deteriorated to death post intervention. CT findings showed that there were global drug-related complications rather than pneumonia related to COVID.
Conclusion:
Body packing has grown worldwide. This case report highlights the importance of recognising body packing as a cause of abdominal pain and other gastrointestinal symptoms in drug users and travellers. CT scans help to diagnose these patients and their complications.
Keywords:
Body packing, Body positive in COVID patient, Radiological imaging of body packing