TY - JOUR
T1 - Illicit intravenous drug use in Johannesburg - Medical complications and prevalence of HIV infection
AU - Williams, P. G.
AU - Ansell, S. M.
AU - Milne, F. J.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2012 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - Objective. To describe the magnitude of the problem of abuse by self-injection of dipianone HCl/cyclizine HCl (Wellconal) and to document the associated morbidity, mortality and prevalence of HIV infection. Design. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 121 admissions of 86 patients who were current intravenous Wellconal abusers and presented to Johannesburg and J G Strijdom Hospitals over an 18-month period. Case records were analysed in respect of age, sex, median hospital stay, complications, HIV antibody status and eventual outcome. Main outcome measures. Age, sex, median hospital stay, complications, HIV antibody status and eventual outcome. Results. Complications of Wellconal abuse occurred in young adults (median age 24 years) with an approximately equal gender distribution. Opiate overdose was the most frequent presenting diagnosis (32%), followed by right-sided endocarditis (20%) and deep-vein thrombosis (12%). A wide variety of complications accounted for the remaining 36%. A 2% HIV antibody positivity rate was found, which is substantially lower than that encountered in intravenous drug abusers in other parts of the world. Seventy-eight per cent of patients completed therapy successfully, but 19% left hospital prematurely against medical advice. There was a mortality rate of 3%. Conclusions. While the prevalence of Wellconal abuse in the broader South African community is unknown, our study draws attention to the extent of the problem in Johannesburg.
AB - Objective. To describe the magnitude of the problem of abuse by self-injection of dipianone HCl/cyclizine HCl (Wellconal) and to document the associated morbidity, mortality and prevalence of HIV infection. Design. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 121 admissions of 86 patients who were current intravenous Wellconal abusers and presented to Johannesburg and J G Strijdom Hospitals over an 18-month period. Case records were analysed in respect of age, sex, median hospital stay, complications, HIV antibody status and eventual outcome. Main outcome measures. Age, sex, median hospital stay, complications, HIV antibody status and eventual outcome. Results. Complications of Wellconal abuse occurred in young adults (median age 24 years) with an approximately equal gender distribution. Opiate overdose was the most frequent presenting diagnosis (32%), followed by right-sided endocarditis (20%) and deep-vein thrombosis (12%). A wide variety of complications accounted for the remaining 36%. A 2% HIV antibody positivity rate was found, which is substantially lower than that encountered in intravenous drug abusers in other parts of the world. Seventy-eight per cent of patients completed therapy successfully, but 19% left hospital prematurely against medical advice. There was a mortality rate of 3%. Conclusions. While the prevalence of Wellconal abuse in the broader South African community is unknown, our study draws attention to the extent of the problem in Johannesburg.
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M3 - Article
C2 - 9259726
AN - SCOPUS:0030770142
SN - 0256-9574
VL - 87
SP - 889
EP - 891
JO - South African Medical Journal
JF - South African Medical Journal
IS - 7
ER -