Overview
Ask About
- Whether the patient takes any recreational drugs
- How long they have been taking the drug for
- How often they take the drug
- Whether they have injected drugs
- Past attempts to quit
- Willingness to cut down or stop
IV Drug Use
Ask About
- What drug they inject
- Where they get their needles from
- Whether they have tried to quit
- How they tried to quit - methadone / suboxone program, cold turkey
Consequences of IV Drug Use
- Blood-borne viral infections - hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV
- Bacterial septicaemia
- Infective endocarditis - especially right-sided (tricuspid) disease
- Cutaneous infection - skin abscess, cellulitis, necrotising fasciitis
- Venous damage - superficial thrombophlebitis, deep venous thrombosis
Next Page
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