[Infections and other causes of mortality correlated with drug addiction].
Drug use and related injection practices determine an excess mortality in drug abusers compared to the general population adjusted for age and gender. HIV/AIDS and overdose are the most important causes of death among injecting drug users; however, excess mortality is also due to other causes, such as cirrhosis and endocarditis. Infections have a great impact on the health of injection drug users. Viral infections, such as HIV, HCV, and HBV, are the most important ones, but bacterial and fungal infections, and, to a lesser extent, protozoal infections, are also common. In depth knowledge of drug-related morbidity and mortality causes is important to improve clinical skills and to implement control activities.
Rezza
Giovanni
G
Reparto AIDS e Malattie Sessualmente Trasmesse, Laboratorio di Epidemiologia e Biostatistica, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, V.le Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma. g.rezza@iss.it
D002423:Cause of Death; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*