Dermatologic manifestations of underlying infectious disease among illicit injection-drug users.
BACKGROUND
Drug use patterns and serious bloodborne infections commonly have dermatologic manifestations among illicit injection-drug users (IDUs).


OBJECTIVE
To assess how self-reported skin conditions of IDUs may correlate with underlying infectious diseases after adjustment for drug use patterns.


METHODS
Prospective analysis of factors associated with self-reports of skin rashes, cellulitis, oral lesions, and lymphadenopathy obtained from 1,065 IDUs enrolled in a large cohort study. Variables potentially associated with each outcome were evaluated using multivariate generalized estimating equations.


RESULTS
In multivariate analyses, drug use patterns were associated with cellulitis, whereas human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and hepatitis C (HCV) were not. HCV infection was independently associated with skin rashes (odds ratio [OR] 1.85; 95% CI 1.17-2.94). HIV infection was independently associated with lymphadenopathy (OR 2.00; 95% CI 1.52-2.63), skin rash (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.57-2.86), and oral lesions (OR 14.95; 95% CI 9.41-23.76).


CONCLUSIONS
Self-reports of IDUs, which could easily be obtained as part of a functional inquiry in a clinical setting, correlate with specific drug use patterns and underlying bloodborne infections.
Blondin
David
D
University of Calgary, AB.
Crawford
Richard I
RI
Kerr
Thomas
T
Zhang
Ruth
R
Tyndall
Mark W
MW
Montaner
Julio S
JS
Wood
Evan
E
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005076:Exanthema / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*