Cocaine FOR Chest Pain

A patient with a history of cocaine abuse, cardiomyopathy with EF 15%, DVT and PE, and noncompliance with Coumadin, is admitted with chest pain and INR 1.0.

Urine toxic screen is positive for cocaine.

Doctor:
"Mr. So-and-so your urine is positive for cocaine."

Patient:
"You know doctor, my chest was hurting so bad that I took some cocaine to help it."

Doctor:
"This cocaine could have killed you. It's really bad for you..."

Patient:
"You know, when they discharged me last week, they gave me some of those Coumadin pills in the Lovenox box. Coumadin... Cocaine... may be I got confused..."

Cocaine FOR chest pain? No comments.

References:
Cocaine chest pain. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 1994 May;12(2):391-6.
Cocaine-associated Chest Pain. How Common Is Myocardial Infarction? Academic Emergency Medicine Volume 7, Number 8 873-877.
Cocaine-Induced CP with High CK - MI or Rhabdomyolysis?
Cocaine from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Note: the story characters may be fictional.

Related:
Pulling Teeth. Fat Doctor, 01/2008.
Hugo Chavez: "I chew coca every day." Gadling, 01/2008.

Updated: 01/26/2008