Abstract
Study objective: To determine whether plasma cholinesterase (pseudocholinesterase) activity is a marker for severe cocaine toxicity. Design: A prevalence study in a cohort of cocaine users. Setting: A large urban emergency department. Participants: During a three-month period in 1989, 187 patients who presented to the ED on 191 consecutive occasions with signs and symptoms consistent with cocaine intoxication were prospectively enrolled in the study protocol. Methods and measurements: All patients had plasma cholinesterase activity determined by the electrometric method. The patients who were cocaine positive were stratified into one of two groups: life-threatening toxicity (LT) and non-life-threatening toxicity (NLT), based on a predetermined set of criteria. Cocaine-negative patients served as controls for the LT group if criteria were otherwise met. Results: Mean (±SD) plasma cholinesterase activities for the LT, NLT, and control groups were 682 ± 277, 904 ± 279, and 1,058 ± 385 Michel units/L, respectively. All three groups were significantly different from each other (P < .05 by analysis of variance). Conclusion: The data suggest that decreased plasma cholinesterase activity is associated with increased risk of life-threatening cocaine toxicity.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 247-253 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Annals of Emergency Medicine |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 1992 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- cocaine
- plasma cholinesterase
- toxicity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Emergency Medicine
Cite this
Association between life-threatening cocaine toxicity and plasma cholinesterase activity. / Hoffman, Robert S.; Henry, Glendon C.; Howland, Mary Ann; Weisman, Richard S; Weil, Lawrence; Goldfrank, Lewis R.
In: Annals of Emergency Medicine, Vol. 21, No. 3, 01.01.1992, p. 247-253.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Association between life-threatening cocaine toxicity and plasma cholinesterase activity
AU - Hoffman, Robert S.
AU - Henry, Glendon C.
AU - Howland, Mary Ann
AU - Weisman, Richard S
AU - Weil, Lawrence
AU - Goldfrank, Lewis R.
PY - 1992/1/1
Y1 - 1992/1/1
N2 - Study objective: To determine whether plasma cholinesterase (pseudocholinesterase) activity is a marker for severe cocaine toxicity. Design: A prevalence study in a cohort of cocaine users. Setting: A large urban emergency department. Participants: During a three-month period in 1989, 187 patients who presented to the ED on 191 consecutive occasions with signs and symptoms consistent with cocaine intoxication were prospectively enrolled in the study protocol. Methods and measurements: All patients had plasma cholinesterase activity determined by the electrometric method. The patients who were cocaine positive were stratified into one of two groups: life-threatening toxicity (LT) and non-life-threatening toxicity (NLT), based on a predetermined set of criteria. Cocaine-negative patients served as controls for the LT group if criteria were otherwise met. Results: Mean (±SD) plasma cholinesterase activities for the LT, NLT, and control groups were 682 ± 277, 904 ± 279, and 1,058 ± 385 Michel units/L, respectively. All three groups were significantly different from each other (P < .05 by analysis of variance). Conclusion: The data suggest that decreased plasma cholinesterase activity is associated with increased risk of life-threatening cocaine toxicity.
AB - Study objective: To determine whether plasma cholinesterase (pseudocholinesterase) activity is a marker for severe cocaine toxicity. Design: A prevalence study in a cohort of cocaine users. Setting: A large urban emergency department. Participants: During a three-month period in 1989, 187 patients who presented to the ED on 191 consecutive occasions with signs and symptoms consistent with cocaine intoxication were prospectively enrolled in the study protocol. Methods and measurements: All patients had plasma cholinesterase activity determined by the electrometric method. The patients who were cocaine positive were stratified into one of two groups: life-threatening toxicity (LT) and non-life-threatening toxicity (NLT), based on a predetermined set of criteria. Cocaine-negative patients served as controls for the LT group if criteria were otherwise met. Results: Mean (±SD) plasma cholinesterase activities for the LT, NLT, and control groups were 682 ± 277, 904 ± 279, and 1,058 ± 385 Michel units/L, respectively. All three groups were significantly different from each other (P < .05 by analysis of variance). Conclusion: The data suggest that decreased plasma cholinesterase activity is associated with increased risk of life-threatening cocaine toxicity.
KW - cocaine
KW - plasma cholinesterase
KW - toxicity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0026532220&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0026532220&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0196-0644(05)80883-2
DO - 10.1016/S0196-0644(05)80883-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 1536483
AN - SCOPUS:0026532220
VL - 21
SP - 247
EP - 253
JO - Annals of Emergency Medicine
JF - Annals of Emergency Medicine
SN - 0196-0644
IS - 3
ER -