A Cross-Sectional Observational Study on Retained Drug Needle Fragments in People Who Use Intravenous Drugs
The Prevalence and Predisposing Factors to Retained Drug Needle Fragments in People Who Inject Drugs: a Protocol for a Cross-sectional Observational Study
Tampere University Hospital
100 participants
May 25, 2023
OBSERVATIONAL
Conditions
Summary
In addition to the well-known toxicological harms of intravenous drug (IVD) use, there can also be local tissue complications, including infections, venous sclerosis, tissue necrosis, and drug needle fragment retentions. Drug needle fragments in subcutaneous tissue may cause local symptoms (usually pain and infections), but they have also been identified as causing emboli to organs. The literature has described numerous case reports of people who inject drugs (PWIDs) and have retained needle fragments. The prevalence of the condition is not known, and the researchers therefore aim to perform the first cross-sectional study of PWIDs to estimate how common needle fragment retentions are and what their risk factors are in this population.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria4
- History of intravenous drug use
- Current treatment of the drug abuse problem at a local low-threshold drug abuse service unit or primary health care centre.
- Adherence to fill in the questionnaire
- Participation to X-ray imaging of injection sites
Exclusion Criteria4
- No history of intravenous drug use
- Does not adhere to fill in the questionnaire or refuses X-ray imaging
- Pregnancy
- Underage (18 years old)
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Interventions
To identify needle fragment retentions, the radiologic imaging of all volunteers will be performed with X-ray using radiation doses as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) and one projection per anatomic site.
Locations(1)
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NCT05679284