Intravenous drug user
Updates to Article Attributes
Intravenous drug users (IVDU) (also known as intravenous drug abusers (IVDA)) are patients who self-inject recreational drugs, most commonly heroin, although many other agents are frequently injected, including cocaine, prescription opioids and methamphetamine.
Terminology
Intravenous drug users form part of a larger population of persons who use drugs (PWUD) 3.
Clinical presentation
Intravenous drug users may present due to a variety of complications 4:
- at/close to the injection site
- remote from the injection site
- infections
- specific: infective endocarditis, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B/C, pulmonary septic emboli, osteomyelitis, etc.
- non-specific: sepsis
- infections
- chronic disease: multiple comorbidities are common 4
- vascular: serial venous thromboembolism, venous ulcers, peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
- limb amputation: due to vascular insufficiency, infections, personal neglect
- skin: chronic pruritus, soft tissue/wound infections, lower limb ulcers
- GI: nausea, constipation
- hepatic: viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma
- pulmonary: early COPD, poorly-controlled asthma, TB, pneumonia
- dental : caries, dental abscesses, multiple extractions
- GU: STIs, poor fertility, erectile dysfunction
- pregnancy: multiple issues, including unplanned pregnancy, IUGR, fetal addiction syndromes, prematurity, maternal death
- related to the drug and/or excipients
- non-specific
- overdose
- allergic reactions including anaphylaxis
- ARDS
- specific
- hypogonadism in heroin use 2
- non-specific
- violent traumatic injuries
-
psychiatricmental illness: high prevalence, both due to, and as a cause, of IVDU 2- depression
- general anxiety disorder
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 4
- self-harm
/and suicide - severe psychiatric disease: drug-induced psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders
- alcohol, other substance addiction
Intravenous drug users are also at increased risk of disease due to often having other risk factors for disease, including long term tobacco use, chronic alcohol excess, malnutrition, poor living conditions, etc. e.g. pneumonia 2.
-<p><strong>Intravenous drug users</strong> (<strong>IVDU</strong>) (also known as <strong>intravenous drug abusers</strong> (<strong>IVDA</strong>)) are patients who self-inject <a title="Recreational drugs" href="/articles/recreational-drugs">recreational drugs</a>, most commonly heroin, although many other agents are frequently injected, including cocaine, prescription opioids and methamphetamine. </p><h4>Terminology</h4><p>Intravenous drug users form part of a larger population of <strong>persons who use drugs</strong> (<strong>PWUD</strong>) <sup>3</sup>.</p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Intravenous drug users may present due to a variety of complications <sup>4</sup>:</p><ul>- +<p><strong>Intravenous drug users</strong> (<strong>IVDU</strong>) (also known as <strong>intravenous drug abusers</strong> (<strong>IVDA</strong>)) are patients who self-inject <a href="/articles/recreational-drugs">recreational drugs</a>, most commonly heroin, although many other agents are frequently injected, including cocaine, prescription opioids and methamphetamine. </p><h4>Terminology</h4><p>Intravenous drug users form part of a larger population of <strong>persons who use drugs</strong> (<strong>PWUD</strong>) <sup>3</sup>.</p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Intravenous drug users may present due to a variety of complications <sup>4</sup>:</p><ul>
-<li>allergic reactions including <a title="Anaphylaxis" href="/articles/anaphylaxis">anaphylaxis</a>- +<li>allergic reactions including <a href="/articles/anaphylaxis">anaphylaxis</a>
-<li>psychiatric illness: high prevalence, both due to, and as a cause, of IVDU <sup>2</sup><ul>- +<li>mental illness: high prevalence, both due to, and as a cause, of IVDU <sup>2</sup><ul>
-<li>anxiety</li>-<li>post-traumatic stress disorder <sup>4</sup>- +<li>general anxiety disorder</li>
- +<li>post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) <sup>4</sup>
-<li>self-harm/<a href="/articles/suicide">suicide</a>- +<li>self-harm and <a href="/articles/suicide">suicide</a>
-<li>severe: drug-induced psychosis, <a href="/articles/schizophrenia">schizophrenia</a>, bipolar disorder, personality disorders</li>- +<li>severe psychiatric disease: drug-induced psychosis, <a href="/articles/schizophrenia">schizophrenia</a>, bipolar disorder, personality disorders</li>
- +<li>alcohol, other substance addiction</li>