A syndromic rash in patients attending methadone clinics in New South Wales.
We report an outbreak of a "rash" syndrome in patients attending methadone clinics in New South Wales. It presents with a pruritic, exanthematous or purpuric rash involving the trunk, limbs, palms and soles, which develops over a week and proceeds in most patients to desquamation (mainly of palms and soles) persisting for 3-4 weeks. Mucosae are not involved, and patients are generally systemically well. To date, the rash has affected 22% of 316 patients attending one methadone clinic in western Sydney, as well as patients in clinics elsewhere in Sydney and rural NSW. The aetiology is as yet unknown.
Currie
Jon N
JN
Drug and Alcohol Services, Western Sydney Area Health Service, PO Box 533, Wentworthville, NSW 2145, Australia. jon_currie@wsahs.nsw.gov.au
Wallman
Lucinda
L
Chien
Jimmy
J
Snell
Lisa
L
Cluff
Margaret
M
Scrivener
Karen
K
Benson
Elizabeth M
EM
D000328:Adult; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005076:Exanthema / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers
D008691:Methadone