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01.10.2015 | Review Article

Imaging of body packing: errors and medico-legal issues

verfasst von: Alfonso Reginelli, Anna Russo, Fabrizio Urraro, Duilia Maresca, Ciro Martiniello, Alfredo D’Andrea, Luca Brunese, Antonio Pinto

Erschienen in: Abdominal Radiology | Ausgabe 7/2015

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Abstract

Body packing is the ingestion or insertion in the human body of packed illicit substances. Over the last 20 years, drug smuggling has increased global and new means of transport of narcotics have emerged. Among these, the most frequent one is the gastrointestinal tract: from mouth to anus, vagina, and ears. Cocaine is one of the most traded drugs, followed by heroin. Condoms, latex gloves, and balloons are typically used as drug packets for retention in the body. There are different radiologic modalities to detect illicit drugs in body packing: Plain radiography, computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, and magnetic resonance. Current protocols recommend the use of radiography to confirm packet retention and, in case of doubt, the use of abdominal CT scan with reduced mAs. In case of packet rupture, catastrophic effects can occur. Management of patients carrying packets of drugs is a recurrent medico-legal problem. To improve diagnostic accuracy and prevent hazardous complications, radiologists and emergency physicians should be familiar with radiologic features of body packing. The radiologist plays both a social and a medico-legal role in their assessment, and it should not be limited only to the identification of the packages but must also provide accurate information about their number and their exact location. In this review, we focus on diagnostic errors and medico-legal issues related to the radiological assessment of body packers.

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Titel: Imaging of body packing: errors and medico-legal issues
verfasst von: Alfonso Reginelli
Anna Russo
Fabrizio Urraro
Duilia Maresca
Ciro Martiniello
Alfredo D’Andrea
Luca Brunese
Antonio Pinto
Publikationsdatum: 01.10.2015
Verlag: Springer US
Erschienen in: Abdominal Radiology / Ausgabe 7/2015
Print ISSN: 2366-004X
Elektronische ISSN: 2366-0058
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-015-0469-x

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Imaging of body packing: errors and medico-legal issues

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Neu im Fachgebiet Radiologie

Screening-Mammografie offenbart erhöhtes Herz-Kreislauf-Risiko

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Fünf Dinge, die im Kindernotfall besser zu unterlassen sind

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