What serious risk can arise if cocaine intoxication goes undiagnosed?

Cocaine intoxication can lead to several acute complications, one of the most serious being respiratory failure. During intoxication, cocaine acts as a powerful stimulant affecting the central nervous system and can cause severe cardiovascular and respiratory issues. The increased sympathetic nervous system activation leads to heightened heart rate and blood pressure. In some cases, this may also result in bronchospasm, which can compromise the airway and result in inadequate ventilation.

If the intoxication goes undiagnosed, the patient may not receive timely interventions that are crucial for maintaining adequate respiratory function. This situation can escalate to respiratory arrest due to the combination of hypoventilation and potential seizures, leading to acute respiratory failure. Monitoring and early recognition of these complications are vital for effective management and intervention before respiratory failure occurs.

While hypotension and dehydration can occur due to various factors associated with cocaine use, such as its stimulant effects and increased activity levels, they are not the immediate life-threatening consequences that respiratory failure presents. Long-term dependency may be a concern with continued cocaine use, but it is not an acute risk associated with a single episode of intoxication.