Controlled-release opioid may be leading to heart infections in persons who inject drugs

(Lawson Health Research Institute) A new study from ICES, Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University suggests that injection drug users prescribed controlled-release hydromorphone are three times more likely to develop endocarditis, a serious bacterial heart infection, when compared to those prescribed other opioids. The findings, published today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, build on growing evidence that some controlled-release opioids may lead to higher risk of infectious disease among persons who inject drugs.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news