Toxicology: body stuffer syndrome: practice question

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Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. He is a body stuffer, whose hasty, poorly packaged ingestion carries a high risk of leakage and toxicity, so he needs close hospital observation

A body stuffer swallows drugs hurriedly to avoid arrest, usually in small amounts and poorly wrapped, so rupture and acute cocaine toxicity are more likely. Management is observation, activated charcoal and whole bowel irrigation, with surgery only for obstruction or leakage.

Option by option

• A. Immediate surgical removal is mandatory in every body stuffer

  Surgery is reserved for obstruction or leaking packets, not for every case.

• B. A body stuffer has better packaging than a packer and so is less at risk

  Stuffers have the poorer packaging, which increases the risk.

• C. He is a body stuffer, whose hasty, poorly packaged ingestion carries a high risk of leakage and toxicity, so he needs close hospital observation (correct)

  Correct. Hasty, loosely wrapped ingestion defines the stuffer.

• D. He is a body packer, whose carefully wrapped packets rarely leak

  A packer swallows carefully prepared packets in bulk, and the scenario describes a stuffer.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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