Prevalence rates of acute injection related injuries in a sample of persons who inject drugs in Phoenix, Arizona
Document
Description
Opioid use in the United States is skyrocketing. Overdose deaths have increased 433% in
the last decade and will continue climbing. In addition to the mortality caused by illicit
opioid misuse, morbidity rates have also risen. People Who Inject Drugs (PWID)
demonstrate higher rates of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C Virus
(HCV), Endocarditis, Persistent Abscesses, Staphylococcus Aureus (S. aureus, Staph)
and other skin infections. This thesis serves as (1) a systematic review of the differences
in health conditions experienced by PWID and (2) an examination of the trends in skin
and soft tissue infection from a small sample in Phoenix, Arizona. The author argues that
PWID suffer from an increased rate of comorbid conditions associated with substance
use. Targeted social work interventions could be useful in reducing the rates of disease
and their impact on the individual and community.
the last decade and will continue climbing. In addition to the mortality caused by illicit
opioid misuse, morbidity rates have also risen. People Who Inject Drugs (PWID)
demonstrate higher rates of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C Virus
(HCV), Endocarditis, Persistent Abscesses, Staphylococcus Aureus (S. aureus, Staph)
and other skin infections. This thesis serves as (1) a systematic review of the differences
in health conditions experienced by PWID and (2) an examination of the trends in skin
and soft tissue infection from a small sample in Phoenix, Arizona. The author argues that
PWID suffer from an increased rate of comorbid conditions associated with substance
use. Targeted social work interventions could be useful in reducing the rates of disease
and their impact on the individual and community.