Home > What are the risk factors for soft tissue abscess development among injecting drug users?

Maloney, Stephanie and Keenan, Eamon and Geoghegan, Noreen (2010) What are the risk factors for soft tissue abscess development among injecting drug users? Nursing Times, 106, (23),

External website: http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice-clini...

Background: Much research has been conducted on the risk taking behaviour of injecting drug users. Cutaneous or subcutaneous skin and soft tissue abscesses are common complications of intravenous drug use.

Aim: To identify the risk factors to which injecting drug users expose themselves to improve initial assessment.

Method: A convenience sampling method was used, and structured interviews were carried out with 70 injecting drug users attending a methadone treatment setting in Dublin.

Results and discussion: Forty eight (69%) of participants have had an abscess at some stage. Poor levels of skin cleansing were identified as a main cause, and 80% admitted to sharing injecting equipment.

Conclusion: Healthcare professionals need to develop better strategies for delivering safety messages to clients about safer injecting behaviour.


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