Clinical toxicity of cocaine adulterants.

Adulterants are found in all street samples of cocaine. They add an unappreciated dimension to the clinical toxicity of cocaine abuse. Identification of these adulterants is necessary to separate their effects from those of cocaine. The comprehensive toxic screen, which provides multiple modalities of drug analysis, will be a key diagnostic tool in the further investigation of these inherently toxic agents and their impact on syndromes of cocaine intoxication.