title: Skin and needle hygiene intervention for injection drug users: results from a randomized, controlled Stage I pilot trial.
abstract: A new skin and needle hygiene intervention, designed to reduce high-risk injection practices associated with bacterial and viral infections, was tested in a pilot, randomized controlled trial. Participants included 48 active heroin injectors recruited through street outreach and randomized to either a 2-session intervention or an assessment-only condition (AO) and followed up for 6 months. The primary outcome was skin- and needle-cleaning behavioral skills measured by videotaped demonstration. Secondary outcomes were high-risk injection practices, intramuscular injection, and bacterial infections. Intervention participants had greater improvements on the skin (d = 1.00) and needle-cleaning demonstrations (d = .52) and larger reductions in high-risk injection practices (d = .32) and intramuscular injection (d = .29), with a lower incidence rate of bacterial infections (hazard ratio = .80), at 6 months compared with AO. The new intervention appears feasible and promising as a brief intervention to reduce bacterial and viral risks associated with drug injection.
authors.affiliation: University of Northern Colorado, School of Psychological Sciences, Greeley, CO 80639, USA. kristina.phillips@unco.edu
authors.forename: Kristina T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Karen F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Corsi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009339:Needles / Q000592:standards*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012309:Risk-Taking; D017592:Skin Care / Q000379:methods*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control