Our finding of 86% seropositivity for hepatitis C virus is consistent with the 67% found among Australian injecting drug users and 75% among UK addicts receiving maintenance treatment. The participants’ perceptions of their viral status were often inaccurate: for both hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus, they tended to believe they were negative when they were positive. If untested drug users ass...

During a one year period from August 1992 to August 1993, 272 injecting drug users attending the National Drug Treatment Centre were tested for antibody to Hepatitis C Virus with a second generation EIA test. The overall sero-prevalence was 84% (N = 229). A significantly greater proportion of females tested positive than males (Female: Male, 94% v 80%, p < 0.012). Looking at sero-prevalence of ...

BACKGROUND Data on mental health among injecting drug users in South Asia is scarce yet poor mental health among users has significant implications for the success of HIV prevention and treatment programmes. A cohort of 449 injecting drug users in Delhi was examined on the following issues (1) examine trends in suicidal ideation, suicide plan and suicidal attempts over a 12-month period, (2) ex...

OBJECTIVE To understand the perceptions of pharmacy teams about their role in the healthcare assistance challenges and adherence to antiretroviral therapy by injecting drug users living with HIV/AIDS. METHODS Qualitative study through focus groups and thematic discourse analysis of pharmacists, technicians and assistants with more than six months of experience with medication supply, in 15 as...

Matthew LeBreton,* Sally Umlauf,† Cyrille F. Djoko,*‡ Peter Daszak,§ Donald S. Burke,¶ Paul Yemgai Kwenkam,# and Nathan D. Wolfe¶ *Walter Reed Johns Hopkins Cameroon Program, Yaoundé, Cameroon; †Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA; ‡University of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon; §Consortium for Conservation Medicine, New York, New York, USA; ¶Johns Hopki...

Injection drug use is a prevalent global phenomenon; one not bound by a country's level of development or geographical location. Injection drug users (IDUs) are at high risk for a variety of parenterally acquired and transmitted infections. Licensed vaccines are available for some of these infectious diseases, such as tetanus, influenza, and hepatitis A and B viruses; however, there have been c...

Necrotising fasciitis with pronounced local oedema is described in an injecting drug user. Clostridium novyi was an unexpected single pathogen isolated from infected tissue. The patient was among a cluster of cases, all injecting drug users, presenting with toxaemia and soft tissue infection. The causal role and pathogenicity of C novyi is discussed.

Part one of this article, published last week, examined the issues associated with injecting drug use and the overall management of patients presenting with injection drug-related wounds. In part two of this article, the focus is on the physical problems associated with injecting drug use, in particular the development of leg ulcers. The article provides nurses with practical guidance on assess...

BACKGROUND Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the two blood-borne pathogens most commonly transmitted among injection drug users via multi-person use of syringes and other injection equipment. However, important differences exist in the epidemiology of HIV and HCV within different populations of intravenous drug users. METHOD A literature review was carried out...