A cross-sectional study of emergency department visits by people who inject drugs.
BACKGROUND
People who inject drugs (PWID) have worse health than non-injectors and are at heightened risk of incidents that necessitate hospital emergency department (ED) visits.


OBJECTIVE
To describe ED visits by PWIDs in Melbourne, Australia, and compare reasons with those given in Vancouver, Canada.


METHODS
In 2008-2010, 688 Melbourne PWIDs were interviewed about their ED visits; these data were contrasted with published data about ED visits by PWIDs in Vancouver.


RESULTS
Participants reported 132 ED visits in the month preceding interview--27.3% drug-related, 20.5% trauma-related (principally physical assault), 13.6% for psychiatric problems. Melbourne PWIDs are less likely to attend ED for soft-tissue injuries, and more likely to attend after physical assault than PWIDs in Vancouver.


CONCLUSIONS
PWID in Melbourne and Vancouver attend EDs for different reasons; information about PWID visits can help EDs cater for them and provide insights for prevention.
Centre for Population Health, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Campbell
C
Aitken
Thomas
T
Kerr
Matthew
M
Hickman
Mark
M
Stoové
Peter
P
Higgs
Paul
P
Dietze
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult