Prevalence of Injection-Related Bacterial and Fungal Infection Among People Who Inject Drugs: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis - Summary - MDSpire
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Prevalence of Injection-Related Bacterial and Fungal Infection Among People Who Inject Drugs: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
To evaluate the prevalence and incidence of injection-related infections among people who inject drugs (PWID), distinguishing between the two metrics.
Key Findings:
Prevalence of skin and soft-tissue infections was 13% in the past month (95% CI: 9%-19%), 30% in the past 3–12 months (95% CI: 23%-37%), and 47% across a lifetime (95% CI: 29%-66%).
Prevalence of endocarditis was 2% in the past month (95% CI: 1%-3%), 2% in the past 3–12 months (95% CI: 2%-3%), and 6% across a lifetime (95% CI: 3%-10%).
Prevalence of sepsis/bloodstream infection was 1% in the past month (95% CI: 1%-2%), 7% in the past 3–12 months (95% CI: 4%-13%), and 8% across a lifetime (95% CI: 3%-19%).
Interpretation:
Injection-related infections are prevalent among PWID, indicating a significant public health concern that necessitates targeted interventions to reduce their occurrence and improve health outcomes.
Limitations:
The review may not capture all relevant studies due to publication bias, which could skew the understanding of infection prevalence.
Variability in study methodologies and definitions of infections may affect the reliability of pooled estimates, potentially leading to misinterpretation of the data.
Conclusion:
Injection-related infections represent a common complication of injecting drug use, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions to mitigate their impact on public health.
