Prevalence of intravenous drug use-associated infections

Background: Intravenous drug use (IDU) is a frequent route of infection transmission, especially during the recent decades. Numerous studies have addressed the increasing frequency of IDU-associated infections such as hepatitis and AIDS. The present study was achieved to determine the prevalence of IDU-associated infections in 3 teaching hospitals in Iran. Materials and methods: For this descriptive study, 3 teaching hospitals affiliated to Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences were considered and patients who had been admitted in infectious ward were included. Totally, 126 IDU patients were evaluated for duration of drug abuse, type of drug, site and frequency of injections, and clinical manifestations. Results: The study population included 123 males and 3 females with a mean age of 37 years. They have averagely abused IV drugs for 5.8 years 3.3 times a day. Groin (44%) and upper extremity (forearm, arm or hand) (36%) were the most common sites of injection. Soft tissue and skin infection, respiratory infections and pulmonary TB, and viral hepatitis were the most common IDU-associated infections. Conclusion: Skin and soft tissues were the most common site of involvement among IDU patients. High frequency of pulmonary tuberculosis in IDU necessitates clinician’s attention; however, the association between TB and HIV was remarkable.