X-ray of packets in G.I. tract. MANY DRUG mules arrive at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) already exhibiting signs of early cocaine
intoxication.
Dr. Trevor McCartney, the hospital's, senior medical officer, said that these patient may appear anxious, irritable, agitated, restless, with pseudo hallucination, nausea, vomiting, tremors, muscle twitching, pre convulsion movement.
In some cases, young patients may turn up with hypertension, slowing of the heart rate (bradycardia) or increased heart rate (tachycardia), and hyperpyrexia (an increase in the body temperature). These are signs which doctors in accident and emergency departments should be alerted to especially in patients with no pre-morbid state.
When drug mules are brought to the KPH, the medical team employ surgical methods as a last resort. They first resort to efforts to have them pass out the packets. If asymptomatic the non-operative options used are:
- activated charcoal
- gentle catharsis
- whole bowel ingestion isosmatic polyethylene, glycol solution to
speed up the transit of bags.
This non-operative option, however, Dr. McCartney says, places great stress on the hospital staff they have to frequently monitor the vital signs and mental state of the mule, see to adequate hydration.
Surgery is indicated he said if the drug mule suffers aortic dissection, intracranial haemorrhage, failure of movement of package, intestinal obstruction, gastrointestinal tract ischaemaia, ruptured packets (there is a small time between rupture and death), change of configuration of the packets on X-ray.
