Primary Care for Persons Who Inject Drugs.

Primary Care for Persons Who Inject Drugs. Am Fam Physician. 2019 Jan 15;99(2):109-116 Authors: Visconti AJ, Sell J, Greenblatt AD Abstract More than 750,000 persons in the United States inject opioids, methamphetamine, cocaine, or ketamine, and that number is increasing because of the current opioid epidemic. Persons who inject drugs (PWID) are at higher risk of infectious and noninfectious skin, pulmonary, cardiac, neurologic, and other causes of morbidity and mortality. Nonjudgmental inquiries about current drug use can uncover information about readiness for addiction treatment and identify modifiable risk factors for complications of injection drug use. All PWID should be screened for human immunodeficiency virus infection, latent tuberculosis, and hepatitis B and C, and receive vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, tetanus, and pneumonia if indicated. Pre-exposure prophylaxis for human immunodeficiency virus infection should also be offered. Naloxone should be prescribed to those at risk of opioid overdose. Skin and soft tissue infections are the most common medical complication in PWID and the top reason for hospitalization in these patients. Signs of systemic infection require hospitalization, blood cultures, and a comprehensive history and physical examination to determine the source of infection. PWID have a higher incidence of community-acquired pneumonia and are at risk of other pulmonary complications, including opioid-ass...
Source: American Family Physician - Category: Primary Care Authors: Tags: Am Fam Physician Source Type: research