Skin popping scars – a telltale sign of past and present subcutaneous drug abuse

Abstract

AbstractIdentifying women with past and present drug abuse is an essential aspect of prenatal care.Despite having typical telltale physical signs of prior subcutaneous drug injections, a 33-year-old pregnant woman who had regular prenatal care visits with multiple obstetric care providers was only identified as a drug abuser after a cesarean section, when her skin scars were identified by one provider as the result of “skin popping” related to injections of illicit drugs before this pregnancy.This case demonstrates that obstetricians must become aware of the telltale signs of drug abuse, such as subcutaneous injections (skin popping) with illicit drugs leading to scaring of the arms and other parts of the body.