Do Supervised Injecting Facilities Attract Higher-Risk Injection Drug Users?

BACKGROUND: In Western Europe and elsewhere, medically supervised safer injection facilities (SIFs) are increasingly being implemented for the prevention of health- and community-related harms among injection drug users (IDUs), although few evaluations have been conducted, and there have been questions regarding SIFs' ability to attract high-risk IDUs. We examined whether North America's first SIF was attracting IDUs who were at greatest risk of overdose and blood-borne disease infection. METHODS: We examined data from a community-recruited cohort study of IDUs. The prevalence of SIF use was determined based on questionnaire data obtained after the SIF's opening, and we determined predictors of initiating future SIF use based on behavioral information obtained from questionnaire data obtained before the SIF's opening. Pearson's chi-square test was used to compare characteristics of IDUs who did and did not subsequently initiate SIF use. RESULTS: Overall, 400 active injection drug users returned for follow-up between December 1, 2003 and May 1, 2004, among whom 178 (45%) reported ever using the SIF. When we examined behavioral data collected before the SIF's opening, those who initiated SIF use were more likely to be aged <30 years (odds ratio [OR]=1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.0-2.7], p=0.04); public injection drug users (OR=2.6, 95% CI=1.7-3.9, p<0.001); homeless or residing in unstable housing (OR=1.7, 95% CI=1.2-2.7, p=0.008); daily heroin users (OR=2.1, 95% CI=1.3-3.2, p=0.001); daily cocaine users (OR=1.6, 95% CI=1.1-2.5, p=0.025); and those who had recently had a nonfatal overdose (OR=2.7, 95% CI=1.2-6.1, p=0.016). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that the SIF attracted IDUs who have been shown to be at elevated risk of blood-borne disease infection and overdose, and IDUs who were contributing to the public drug use problem and unsafe syringe disposal problems stemming from public injection drug use.     

Determinants of HAART discontinuation among injection drug users

The objective of this study was to identify psychosocial determinants of, and self-reported reasons for, HAART discontinuation among HIV-positive injection drug users (IDUs). We examined correlates between sociodemographic characteristics, drug use and risk behaviors, outcome expectations, adherence self-efficacy, social support and HAART discontinuation among 160 HIV-positive participants in the Vancouver Injection Drug Users' Study (VIDUS). Logistic regression was used to identify the factors independently associated with discontinuation of HAART. Seventy-one (44%) study participants discontinued HAART during the study period. Factors independently associated with discontinuation of HAART included recent incarceration (OR = 4.84, p = 0.022), negative outcome expectations (OR = 1.41, p = 0.001), adherence efficacy expectations (OR = 0.70, p = 0.003) and self-regulatory efficacy (OR = 0.86, p = 0.050). The most frequently cited reasons provided for discontinuing HAART were being in jail (44%) and medication side effects (41%). The results of this study suggest that psychological constructs derived from self-efficacy theory are highly germane to the understanding of HAART discontinuation behavior and interventions that may change it. Incarceration may result in interruptions in HAART among IDUs, and programmatic changes may be needed to promote optimal retention on HAART among incarcerated HIV-infected IDUs.     

Treatment with statins in the acute phase of ischemic stroke

Although statins are being used for the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke, recent experimental data have shown new pleiotropic effects of these drugs independent of their lipid-lowering properties that might be responsible for their role in neuroprotection. In fact, statins have been successfully tested in animal models of acute cerebral ischemia. In humans, the possibility that statins could be used for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke has not yet been addressed, however, a pilot trial and observational studies testing this approach showed promising results for a disease in which tissue plasminogen activator is the only available treatment for a reduced number of patients. The aim of this review is to answer the basic question of whether treatment with statins initiated in the acute phase of ischemic stroke is feasible and if it can improve neurologic outcome. The possible benefits of this scenario will be discussed.     

Flexible bronchoscopy techniques: bronchoalveolar lavage, bronchial biopsy and transbronchial biopsy

This article completes previous recommendations of the Techniques Group of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Pulmonologists on the practice of flexible bronchoscopy in children. We review the most frequently performed diagnostic and therapeutic procedures applied through the flexible bronchoscope: bronchoalveolar lavage, bronchial biopsy and transbronchial biopsy. Recommendations are also provided on the practice of nonbronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage. We review the indications and contraindications of these techniques, the equipment required, and the preparation and monitoring of the patient before, during and after the procedure. The complications of these techniques are also discussed. These recommendations may be adopted, modified or rejected according to clinical needs and constraints.