These drugs can provide even greater success than methadone, and in some cases, without the potentially dangerous side effects of methadone. The possible side effects include depression, irritability, anger, anxiety, heightened risk-taking behavior, violence, inability to feel pleasure, Substance abuse hallucinations, impaired comprehension, and judgment. Speak with your healthcare provider to determine which option may be more beneficial for you or your loved one. Injecting drugs directly into the bloodstream allows them to reach the brain more quickly than when they are taken by other routes. This can lead to a sudden and intense high that can be overwhelming and potentially fatal. Once they complete an inpatient program, they’re likely to continue their recovery journey through an intensive outpatient program or an outpatient program setting.
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection
Skin and soft-tissue infections and complications of bacteraemia remain common, but outbreaks of rare infections do occur, so it is essential to remain alert for severe or unusual presentations. Choice of antibiotic therapy is dependent on the organism isolated from blood or sputum and may need to be given for a prolonged period – 4 weeks or more depending on clinical progress. Empirical treatment for lung abscesses should cover S aureus, Gram-negative bacteria and anaerobes. Although anyone who injects drugs is at risk for overdose, some things can increase the risk, such as using very potent drugs, using multiple drugs simultaneously, and injecting more frequently.
- As with any foreign substance, injection drug use can also illicit a hypersensitivity reaction from the immune system, including urticaria, wheezing, and dyspnea.
- The most commonly accepted theory is that there is a species of bacteria that tends to grow in cotton plants.
- CT can also be used for imaging-guided abscess aspiration or drainage of deep abscesses or collections with internal locules of air which can obscure ultrasound guidance 10.
- When respiratory depression occurs, it is a sign of opioid overdose, and patients should be ventilated and treated with naloxone (Narcan), an opioid antagonist.
- In some cases, a fungal infection can spread or even enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk for potential medical complications and side effects.
- The repeated insertion of needles can lead to vein damage, potentially causing abscesses and blood clotting.
Collaboration with Healthcare Providers
In PWID, abscesses may develop in deep locations due to direct extension from the site of injection, such as from the groin into the pelvis or retroperitoneum, or as a result of haematogenous seeding of distant locations. The risk of abscess formation in association with soft tissue infection is increased in immunocompromised patients or by the presence of a retained foreign body, meaning PWID are often at an increased risk 6, 7. On CT, abscesses appear as a well-defined collection with internal fluid density and a peripheral rim-enhancing pseudocapsule (Fig. 3) 8.
What Is An Abscess?
- Oral drug use requires waiting for the substance to be digested and absorbed in the intestines before the effects can be felt in the brain.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), intravenous drug users accounted for 9% of all HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2016.
- It can also have serious physical and mental health risks, including overdose, infections, and the spread of bloodborne illnesses.
- Gas-forming anaerobic bacteria are commonly involved in combination with aerobic gram-negative bacteria, and prompt surgical debridement and broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy is necessary 13.
If you or a loved one has recently used an IV drug and is showing signs of sepsis, it’s important to get medical help right away and to tell the doctor about the injections. Ben Lesser is one of the most sought-after experts in health, fitness and medicine. His articles iv drug use impress with unique research work as well as field-tested skills. He is a freelance medical writer specializing in creating content to improve public awareness of health topics. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through Drug Abuse Treatment Act (DATA) in the year 2000. As recent data shows, the amount of buprenorphine being prescribed by doctors’ offices in recent years has been increasing.
Be sure to carefully clean the injection site prior to injecting (see ‘Mainlining’ section above for more detail). Skin and veins can easily become scarred, inflamed, and infected, which is evident in most cases. Injection bypasses the body’s natural filtration system, which would normally remove some of the drugs.
Verify your insurance today – treatment could be more affordable than you think. If you are a medical doctor, clinician, or other professional in a field related to this topic and find errors or inaccuracies within this content, please contact us at Diagnosis is usually made clinically, although laboratory tests and imaging can be useful to confirm the diagnosis and clarify specific aetiologies. Ophelia-affiliated physician group practices are independently owned and operated by licensed physicians who provide services utilizing the Ophelia telehealth platform. “Infectious Diseases in Persons Who Inject Drugs.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Feb. 2024, /pwid/opioid-use.html.
