RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Association of recreational drug consumption, cardiac toxicity and heart transplantation
JF Canadian Journal of Surgery
JO CAN J SURG
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 356
OP 357
DO 10.1503/cjs.011018
VO 62
IS 5
A1 Michel Carrier
A1 Geneviève Giraldeau
A1 Marie-Claude Parent
A1 Anique Ducharme
YR 2019
UL http://canjsurg.ca/content/62/5/356.abstract
AB Cardiac toxicity from recreational drug use remains difficult to establish. We report the cases of 3 young patients who were hospitalized for cardiogenic shock. All were bridged to transplantation with implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). They underwent uneventful heart transplantation. The patients did not have any significant personal or family medical history, but all admitted consuming large quantities of recreational drugs daily. Histological examination of the native heart did not show any inflammation or infiltrative myocardial disease. In this series of young patients presenting in cardiogenic shock with minimal histologic findings on examination of the native hearts, the association between cardiac toxicity and active use of recreational drugs remains a strong possibility. The transplant community should be made aware of this possible association in the current era of legalization and social trivialization of drug consumption.