Incidence and spectrum of severe medical complications among hospitalized HIV-seronegative and HIV-seropositive narcotic drug users

Staphylococcus aureus Infections in Injection Drug Users: Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies

“…The epidemiology of severe medical complications among IDUs before injection opiate maintenance programs were available was carefully investigated by Scheidegger and Zimmerli [2,3]. They found, in a first retrospective survey of the years 1980 to 1986, that 269 drug-abusing patients (97% were IDUs) had 404 admissions to the Department of Medicine of the University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland.…”

“…An infection was again the main reason for admission among HIV-seropositive IDUs (68% of admissions; incidence density 81.6/1,000 persons-years), and the second most frequent cause of hospitalization among HIVseronegative IDUs (33%; 11.3/1,000 persons-years), after intoxication (34%) [2].…”

“…infectious diseases, drug overdose, violence) that increase morbidity and mortality rates for injection drug users (IDUs) [1][2][3][4]. Previous studies have demonstrated that infections are a leading cause of morbidity and hospitalization among IDUs [3].…”

A Rare Case of Septic Deep Vein Thrombosis in the Inferior Vena Cava and the Left Iliac Vein in an Intravenous Drug Abuser

“…This often happens when attempting unsterile access to peripheral veins. 5,6) After years of intravenous drug use, superficial and peripheral veins become thrombosed, so that proximal and more central veins are used for drug injection instead. The use of large proximal veins may result in life-threatening septic deep venous thrombosis.…”

“…Treatment options of catheter directed thrombolysis, mechanical thrombectomy, endovascular treatment, surgical thrombectomy and excision of the involved venous segment have been described in various case reports. 6,9,[14][15][16] In our patient, we have opted for open surgical thrombectomy without excision of the involved venous segments. As the IVC and iliac veins are major structures and best not sacrificed in the presence of other less destructive treatment options.…”