Document 0065
 DOCN  M9580065
 TI    [Changes in heroin administration route and frequency of human
       immunodeficiency virus infection]
 DT    9506
 AU    Torres-Tortosa M; Ruiz Lopez de Tejada MR; Fernandez-Elias M;
       Perez-Perez C; Fernandez-Conejero E; Ugarte I; Canueto J; Unidad de
       Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Punta de Europa,; Algeciras, Cadiz.
 SO    Med Clin (Barc). 1995 Feb 25;104(7):249-52. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/95248800
 AB    BACKGROUND: Self-administration of drugs by different intravenous routes
       may induce a reduction in the organic complications of drug addiction
       (DA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the way of
       drug administration in a series of DA individuals in the province of
       Cadiz, Spain, and the evolution of the frequency of infection by the
       human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in these patients. METHODS: The
       reports of all the drug users from the province of Cadiz admitted to the
       Detoxication Unit of the Hospital Punta de Europa in Algeciras, from
       January, 1989 to July, 1993 were reviewed. At the time of admission many
       data were evaluated, fundamentally the main route of drug
       administration, and anti-HIV seropositivity. RESULTS: Seven hundred ten
       drug users were included in the study. Ninety-seven percent used mainly
       heroin. The route of drug administration on admission was intravenous in
       56.1%, pulmonary in 39.7%, inhalatory in 3.2% and oral in 0.8%.
       Forty-one point seven percent patients were seropositive for HIV. The
       frequency of the use of the intravenous route throughout the semesters
       analyzed was I/89: 85.7%, II/89: 89.6%, I/90: 80%, II/90: 80.8%, I/91:
       59.8%, II/91: 50%, I/92: 44.9%, II/92: 39%, I/93: 34.3% (p < 0.00001).
       The use of the respiratory route significantly increased. The percentage
       of anti HIV positivity in the drug users evaluated was 67.4, 80.8, 56.4,
       46.9, 40.7, 34.1, 30.6, 36.3, 23.2% (p < 0.00001), respectively for the
       same periods. The decrease in the use of the intravenous route and the
       reduction in anti HIV seropositivity demonstrated a correlation
       coefficient of 0.91 with a confidence interval from 0.62 to 0.98 (p <
       0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The decrease, over time, in the use of the
       intravenous route for heroin administration in the collective analyzed
       was significantly associated with a decrease in HIV infection in these
       patients.
 DE    Adult  Diacetylmorphine/*ADMINISTRATION & DOSAGE  Drug Administration
       Routes  English Abstract  Female  Heroin Dependence/*COMPLICATIONS
       Human  HIV Infections/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/ETIOLOGY  Male  *Substance
       Dependence  JOURNAL ARTICLE

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