TY - JOUR
T1 - A cross-sectional study of emergency department visits by people who inject drugs
AU - Aitken, Campbell K
AU - Kerr, Thomas
AU - Hickman, Matthew
AU - Stoove, Mark
AU - Higgs, Peter Gregory
AU - Dietze, Paul Mark
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - 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. Study objectives: To describe ED visits by PWIDs in Melbourne, Australia, and compare reasons with those given in Vancouver, Canada. 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. 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. 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.
AB - 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. Study objectives: To describe ED visits by PWIDs in Melbourne, Australia, and compare reasons with those given in Vancouver, Canada. 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. 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. 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.
UR - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22802454
U2 - 10.1136/emermed-2012-201170
DO - 10.1136/emermed-2012-201170
M3 - Article
SN - 1472-0205
VL - 30
SP - 421
EP - 422
JO - Emergency Medicine Journal
JF - Emergency Medicine Journal
IS - 5
ER -