Injection drug users: hospital care and charges.
Injection drug users have high rates of hospital use, however, the specific contribution of injection-related infections to hospitalization has never been determined. After reviewing 92 consecutive admissions of HIV-negative injection drug users to Rhode Island Hospital in 1998, we found that 49% were related to infections and an additional 24% were due to the biological effects of the injected drug. Admissions that were for injection-related infections were significantly more costly than other admissions of injection drug users ($13958 vs. $7906). We conclude that considerable savings may result from preventative care of this population, including instruction in skin-cleaning techniques.
Stein
M D
MD
Division of General Internal Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University Medical School, Providence, RI 02903, USA. michael_stein@brown.edu
Sobota
M
M
D000328:Adult; D005249:Fees and Charges; D005260:Female; D017722:Hospital Charges / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015980:Public Health Practice / Q000191:economics; D012237:Rhode Island; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000191:economics*