What are the risk factors for soft tissue abscess development among injecting drug users?
BACKGROUND
Much research has been done on the risk taking behaviour of drug users who inject. Cutaneous or subcutaneous skin and soft tissue abscesses are common complications of intravenous drug use.


OBJECTIVE
To identify the risk factors to which drug users who inject expose themselves, in an attempt to improve initial assessment.


METHODS
A convenience sampling method was used, and structured interviews carried out with 70 injecting drug users attending a methadone treatment setting in Dublin.


CONCLUSIONS
Forty eight (69%) of participants have had an abscess at some stage. Poor levels of skin cleansing were identified as a main cause, and 80% admitted to sharing injecting equipment.


CONCLUSIONS
Healthcare professionals need to develop better strategies for delivering messages to clients regarding safer injecting behaviour.
Maloney
Stephanie
S
Dublin Mid-Leinster.
Keenan
Eammon
E
Geoghegan
Noreen
N
D000038:Abscess / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000209:etiology*; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult