AEM Early Access 70: Cocaethylene Cardiotoxicity in Emergency Department Patients with Acute Drug Overdose

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Cocaine use results in over 500,000 emergency department (ED) visits annually across the U.S. and ethanol co-ingestion is reported in 34% of these. Commingling cocaine with ethanol results in the metabolite cocaethylene (CE), which is metabolically active for longer than cocaine alone. Current literature on the cardiotoxicity of CE compared to cocaine alone is limited and lacks consensus. The present study aims to fill this gap in the literature and examine cardiovascular events in cocaine use as confirmed by urine toxicology versus CE exposure.