A cross-sectional study of emergency department visits by people who inject drugs

作者：Aitken Campbell; Kerr Thomas; Hickman Matthew; Stoove Mark; Higgs Peter; Dietze Paul^*

来源：Emergency Medicine Journal, 2013, 30(5): 421-422.

DOI：10.1136/emermed-2012-201170

Background People who inject drugs (PWID) have worse health than non-injectors and are at heightened risk of incidents that necessitate hospital emergency department (ED) visits. %26lt;br%26gt;Study objectives To describe ED visits by PWIDs in Melbourne, Australia, and compare reasons with those given in Vancouver, Canada. %26lt;br%26gt;Methods In 2008-2010, 688 Melbourne PWIDs were interviewed about their ED visits; these data were contrasted with published data about ED visits by PWIDs in Vancouver. %26lt;br%26gt;Results Participants reported 132 ED visits in the month preceding interview-27.3% drug-related, 20.5% trauma-related (principally physical assault), 13.6% for psychiatric problems. Melbourne PWIDs are less likely to attend ED for soft-tissue injuries, and more likely to attend after physical assault than PWIDs in Vancouver. %26lt;br%26gt;Conclusion PWID in Melbourne and Vancouver attend EDs for different reasons; information about PWID visits can help EDs cater for them and provide insights for prevention.

• 出版日期2013-5
• 单位河北医科大学