MikailaKononchik-Log

Lemon juice and Candida endophthalmitis in crack-cocaine misuse  > > > > > Lemon juice and Candida endophthalmitis in crack-cocaine misuse. http://bjo.bmj.com/content/91/5/702.full Doi **Summary:** The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered that many drug users are switching to injecting crack cocaine due to the rising cost of powdered cocaine. The crack is being dissolved in lemon juice and is leading to abscesses, damage to the veins and infections.
 * Article:**
 * 1) [|Thomas A Albini]  ,
 * 1) [|Regina L Sun]  ,
 * 1) [|Eric R Holz]  ,
 * 1) [|Rahul N Khurana]  ,
 * 1) [|Narsing A Rao]

In the first case a 34 year old male when to his doctor because he had a high fever and blurry vision lasting 20 days; he stated he used crack dissolved in lemon juice. The patient was found to have condensations in the vitreous and was able to be treated.

In the second case a 37 year old male reported poor vision as well as pain in the eyes lasting 3 months; he too had used cocaine dissolved in lemon juice. His right eye was found to be blocked and was able to be treated as well.

Infection from injecting drugs is due to not disinfecting the area of injection, not sterilizing needles, or unclean methods of preparing the drug. It is also possible that lemon juice contributes to the infection as well.

**References:**
 * 1) <span style="background-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10px; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Santibanez SS **, Garfein RS, Swartzendruber A, //<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">et al. // Prevalence and correlates of crack-cocaine injection among young injection drug users in the United States, 1997-1999. Drug Alcohol Depend <span class="cit-pub-date" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">2005 ;<span class="cit-vol" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">77 :<span class="cit-fpage" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">227 –33.


 * 1) <span style="background-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10px; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Buchanan D **, Tooze JA, Shaw S, //<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">et al // Demographic, HIV risk behavior, and health status characteristics of “crack” cocaine injectors compared to other injection drug users in three New England cities. Drug Alcohol Depend <span class="cit-pub-date" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">2006 ;<span class="cit-vol" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">81 :<span class="cit-fpage" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">221 –9.


 * 1) <span style="background-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10px; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Servant JB **, Dutton GN, Ong-Tone L, //<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">et al. // Candidal endophthalmitis in Glaswegian heroin addicts: report of an epidemic. <span class="cit-source" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Trans Ophthalmol Soc UK <span class="cit-pub-date" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">1985 ;<span class="cit-vol" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">104 (Pt 3) :<span class="cit-fpage" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">297 –308.
 * 2) <span style="background-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10px; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Newton-John HF **, Wise K, Looke DF. Role of the lemon in disseminated candidiasis of heroin abusers. <span class="cit-source" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Med J Aust <span class="cit-pub-date" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">1984 ;<span class="cit-vol" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">140 :<span class="cit-fpage" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1em; text-align: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">780 –