Clinicopathological effects of pepper (oleoresin capsicum) spray

Objectives: Pepper (oleoresin capsicum) spray is one of the most common riot-control measures used today.Although not lethal, exposure of pepper spray can cause injury to different organ systems.This review aimed to summarise the major clinicopathological effects of pepper spray in humans.Data sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE database, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were used to search for terms associated with the clinicopathological effects of pepper spray in humans and those describing the pathophysiology of capsaicin.A phone interview with two individuals recently exposed to pepper spray was also conducted to establish clinical symptoms. Study selection:Major key words used for the MEDLINE search were "pepper spray", "OC spray", "oleoresin capsicum"; and other key words as "riot control agents", "capsaicin", and "capsaicinoid".We then combined the key words "capsaicin" and "capsaicinoid" with the major key words to narrow down the number of articles.A search with other databases including EMBASE and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was also conducted with the above phrases to identify any additional related articles.Data extraction: All article searches were confined to human study.The bibliography of articles was screened for additional relevant studies including non-indexed reports, and information from these was also recorded.Non-English articles were included in the search.