Expanding harm reduction services through a wound and abscess clinic.
A wound and abscess clinic, held concurrently with a syringe exchange, provided economical treatment and aftercare for injection-associated soft tissue infections. During 20 two-hour clinic sessions, 173 treatment episodes were logged, and the visit cost was estimated at $5 per patient. Increased patient-clinician interactions provided opportunities beyond those afforded by the syringe exchange for patients to obtain resources and referrals to services such as HIV counseling and testing, medical care, and drug treatment. Distribution of cards advertising the clinic was substantially less effective than word of mouth in increasing community awareness of the clinic.
Grau
Lauretta E
LE
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn 06520, USA. lauretta.grau@yale.edu
Arevalo
Silvia
S
Catchpool
Christopher
C
Heimer
Robert
R
D000038:Abscess / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D019058:Community Networks / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D040261:Harm Reduction; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*