
Within the framework of an interdisciplinary cooperation, the authors set up an on-site medical service provider in a specialized methadone substitution center in Germany. Here, they report on the prevalence of infectious and noninfectious diseases, and the vaccination status of substituted heroin-dependent patients.All patients who visited the medical care service provider between February 2008 and December 2008 were included in this study.Ten patients (7%) were seropositive for the hepatitis A virus. Two patients (1.3%) suffered from chronic hepatitis B; 40 patients (27%) were cured after a hepatitis B infection. Additionally, 99 patients (68%) were infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), and 41 patients (28%) had active hepatitis C. Furthermore, 48 hepatitis C patients (33%) were cured. Of those, 25 patients (17%) cleared the virus spontaneously and 23 (16%) after ribavirin/interferon combination therapy. Ten (7%) of 146 patients were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Of those, four patients had active hepatitis C, and five patients were cured after a hepatitis C infection. 18 patients (12%) were vaccinated against hepatitis A and 28 (19%) against hepatitis B. Two of the 41 patients with chronic hepatitis C were vaccinated against hepatitis A. The most frequent noninfectious diagnoses were arterial hypertension (n = 28), bronchial asthma (n = 8), and diffuse liver parenchymal damage (n = 12).These results emphasize that i.v. drug users on substitution therapy are an underserved collective with a high prevalence of disease. The challenge consists in facilitating this population access to internistic and infectious disease service. The offer of an on-site medical service was well accepted. This is essential for an ongoing reduction of HIV and HCV prevalence in the drug users.
Adult, Male, Narcotics, Patient Care Team, Hepatitis, Viral, Human, Liver Diseases, HIV Infections, Comorbidity, Opioid-Related Disorders, Asthma, Cross-Sectional Studies, Cost of Illness, Germany, Hypertension, Humans, Female, Interdisciplinary Communication, Cooperative Behavior, Substance Abuse, Intravenous, Methadone
Adult, Male, Narcotics, Patient Care Team, Hepatitis, Viral, Human, Liver Diseases, HIV Infections, Comorbidity, Opioid-Related Disorders, Asthma, Cross-Sectional Studies, Cost of Illness, Germany, Hypertension, Humans, Female, Interdisciplinary Communication, Cooperative Behavior, Substance Abuse, Intravenous, Methadone
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