abstract: 'Background: Soft tissue infections are common among injection drug users

  (IDUs), but information on correlates and treatment in this highly

  marginalized population is lacking.

  Methods: Six hundred twenty-three community-recruited IDUs in Tijuana,

  Mexico, completed a detailed interview on abscess history and treatment.

  Univariate and multiple logistic regressions were used to identify

  factors independently associated with having an abscess in the prior 6

  months.

  Results: Overall, 46\% had ever had an abscess and 20\% had had an

  abscess in the past 6 months. Only 12\% had sought medical care for

  their most recent abscess; 60\% treated the abscess themselves. The most

  common self-treatment method was to apply heated (24\%) or unheated

  (23\%) Aloe vera leaf. Other methods included draining the wound with a

  syringe (19\%) or knife (11\%). Factors independently associated with

  recent abscess were having income from sex work (adjusted odds ratio

  (aOR) 4.56, 95\% confidence interval (CI) 2.08-10.00), smoking

  methamphetamine (aOR 1.65, 95\% CI 1.05-2.62), seeking someone to help

  with injection (aOR 2.06, 95\% CI 1.18-3.61), and reporting that police

  affected where they used drugs (aOR 2.14, 95\% CI 1.15-3.96).

  Conclusions: Abscesses are common among IDUs in this setting, but

  appropriate treatment is rare. Interventions to reduce barriers to

  medical care in this population are needed. Research on the

  effectiveness of Aloe vera application in this setting is also needed,

  as are interventions to provide IDU sex workers, methamphetamine

  smokers, and those who assist with injection with the information and

  equipment necessary to reduce abscess risk. (C) 2010 International

  Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights

  reserved.'
affiliation: 'Pollini, RA (Corresponding Author), Univ Calif San Diego, Dept Med,
  La Jolla, CA 92093 USA.

  Pollini, Robin A.; Hasan, Samreen; Minuto, Joshua; Vera, Alicia; Zuniga, Maria Luisa;
  Strathdee, Steffanie A., Univ Calif San Diego, Dept Med, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA.

  Gallardo, Manuel, PrevenCasa AC, Tijuana, Mexico.

  Lozada, Remedios, Pro COMUSIDA, Tijuana, Mexico.'
author: Pollini, Robin A. and Gallardo, Manuel and Hasan, Samreen and Minuto, Joshua
  and Lozada, Remedios and Vera, Alicia and Zuniga, Maria Luisa and Strathdee, Steffanie
  A.
author-email: rpollini@ucsd.edu
author_list:
- family: Pollini
  given: Robin A.
- family: Gallardo
  given: Manuel
- family: Hasan
  given: Samreen
- family: Minuto
  given: Joshua
- family: Lozada
  given: Remedios
- family: Vera
  given: Alicia
- family: Zuniga
  given: Maria Luisa
- family: Strathdee
  given: Steffanie A.
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2010.02.2238
files: []
issn: 1201-9712
journal: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
keywords: Abscess; Injection drug use; Soft tissue infection; Treatment seeking
keywords-plus: 'RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS; ALOE-BARBADENSIS MILLER; SOFT-TISSUE

  INFECTIONS; RISK-FACTORS; SAN-FRANCISCO; VIRUS-INFECTION; HARM

  REDUCTION; COMMUNITY; SKIN; CRACK'
language: English
month: SEP
number: '3'
number-of-cited-references: '38'
orcid-numbers: 'Strathdee, Steffanie/0000-0002-7724-691X

  HARVEY-VERA, ALICIA/0000-0002-8708-8169'
pages: E117-E122
papis_id: 5ab96f61f6f72eef66efe5d9608aca8b
ref: Pollini2010highprevalence
researcherid-numbers: 'Strathdee, Steffanie A/B-9042-2009

  '
times-cited: '32'
title: High prevalence of abscesses and self-treatment among injection drug users
  in Tijuana, Mexico
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000282643000025
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '2'
volume: '14'
web-of-science-categories: Infectious Diseases
year: '2010'