ABSTRACT
Cocaine abuse induces coronary vasospasm [1-5], myocardial infarction [6-8], hypertension [9,10], stroke [7,11], and fatal cardiac rhythm disorders, including ventricular fibrillation [12-15]. Chronic cocaine abuse has also been shown to cause dilated cardiomyopathy [16,17], and left ventricular hypertrophy in normotensive cocaine users [18-20]. It is only since modern electrocardiographic techniques have come into widespread use that the effect of cocaine on cardiac rhythm has been effectively studied. These techniques were the first to demonstrate that cocaine produced severe intractable ventricular arrhythmias that resulted in death during routine nasal surgery [21].
