Crack lung
Crack lung
- usually occurs 1 to 48 hours after heavy cocaine smoking, and is a form of hypersensitivity reaction. Patients may present with dyspnoea, cough, haemoptysis, fever, tachypnoea, chest pain, wheeze and widespread itching
- unknown whether it is fully reversible
- clinical course can take two forms
- acute and self-limiting resolving within 24 hours
- progressive, with a high percentage of patients requiring mechanical ventilation. A short course of steroids may be of benefit.
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