ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In the Netherlands therewereseveralreports on needlespiking: people have found themselvessubjectedtosurreptitiousinjections. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 23-year-old female was seenafterbeingsurroundedby a group of men andfeltwhatshethought was a jab. She was abletoevadethegroup. Several minutes later sheexperienceddizziness, nausea andvomiting. On physical examination, a bleedingpuncturewound was seen on her upper arm withaccompanying erythema. Toxicology on bloodand urine didnot show evidenceforintoxicationotherthan alcohol which was higherthanwouldbesuspectedbythenumber of drinks thevictimreported. CONCLUSION: There is evidencethatpeople are puncturedwithneedles in busy surroundings like thenightlife. Possiblealso drugs are injected. Experiencedsymptomsbyvictims (n=19) wereheterogeneousandnotlikelyattributedtooneandthesamecausal drug. Toxicologydidnotrevealanysubstanceuntilnow.
