DRUG USE RELATED INFECTIONS PROJECTDRUG USE RELATED INFECTIONS PROJECTCompiled by the West Virginia Chapter of the Association for Practitioners in Infection Compiled by the West Virginia Chapter of the Association for Practitioners in Infection

ControlControl

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION: The adverse effects of illicit : The adverse effects of illicit drug use are many, among them damage to drug use are many, among them damage to the skin, internal organs, and the immune the skin, internal organs, and the immune system leading to frequent secondary system leading to frequent secondary infections. APIC-WV hopes to help infections. APIC-WV hopes to help discourage use of these drugs through discourage use of these drugs through education of students regarding potential education of students regarding potential disfiguring and life-threatening infectious disfiguring and life-threatening infectious complications.complications.

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IntroductionIntroductionWe humans have bacteria and other We humans have bacteria and other

microbes on all our skin surfaces; these microbes on all our skin surfaces; these belong on the surface but if allowed inside belong on the surface but if allowed inside can cause infections, which can become can cause infections, which can become chronic or even kill. Any place on the body chronic or even kill. Any place on the body used for injecting drugs can become used for injecting drugs can become infected, including between the toes & infected, including between the toes & fingers, in the groin, and under the tongue. fingers, in the groin, and under the tongue.

What follows are examples of skin infections What follows are examples of skin infections seen commonly with intravenous drug use.seen commonly with intravenous drug use.

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Skin DamageSkin Damage

Cellulitis, a Cellulitis, a painful infection painful infection under the skinunder the skin

Skin infection with Skin infection with tissue deathtissue death

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Skin & Flesh DamageSkin & Flesh Damage

Open sores from skin Open sores from skin popping and non-popping and non-sterile tattooingsterile tattooing

Gangrene, skin & Gangrene, skin & tissue death tissue death leading to leading to amputationamputation

CDC Photo

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Liver DamageLiver Damage

Germs introduced through Germs introduced through the skin can travel the skin can travel through your body to through your body to other organs, like your other organs, like your liver. These pictures are liver. These pictures are a normal liver and what a normal liver and what can happen because of can happen because of drug use.drug use.

Your liver serves as a body Your liver serves as a body filter to protect you from filter to protect you from harm. A sick liver means harm. A sick liver means you stay sick and may you stay sick and may lead to a need for a liver lead to a need for a liver transplant.transplant.

Normal healthy liverNormal healthy liver

Alcohol & drug damaged Alcohol & drug damaged liverliver

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Hepatitis B and CHepatitis B and C

In addition to the drugs themselves, In addition to the drugs themselves, viral infections transferred between viral infections transferred between users through needle sharing or items users through needle sharing or items used to snort drugs can lead to liver used to snort drugs can lead to liver damage or liver cancer many years damage or liver cancer many years after the virus has entered the body. after the virus has entered the body. There are parts of West Virginia with There are parts of West Virginia with some of the highest rates of hepatitis some of the highest rates of hepatitis C in the country.C in the country.

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Heart & Lung DamageHeart & Lung Damage

Bacterial infection of the Bacterial infection of the heart and lungs heart and lungs happens to intravenous happens to intravenous drug users when the drug users when the drugs or other drugs or other substances used to cut substances used to cut or dissolve the drugs or dissolve the drugs travels to these organs travels to these organs causing damage that causing damage that keeps the heart and keeps the heart and lungs from operating lungs from operating efficiently.efficiently.

It makes the person It makes the person constantly weak and constantly weak and gasping for air.gasping for air.

Normal heart valvesNormal heart valves

Diseased heart valvesDiseased heart valves

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Brain DamageBrain Damage

Drug use can change your Drug use can change your brain. brain.

Your brain doesn’t fully Your brain doesn’t fully mature until around age mature until around age 24, and drug use during 24, and drug use during teen years will affect teen years will affect you for the rest of your you for the rest of your life, particularly the life, particularly the parts controlling your parts controlling your emotions and ability to emotions and ability to understand and use understand and use good judgment.good judgment.

Normal brain Normal brain

Cocaine brainCocaine brain

(National Institutes of Health/ National Institute on Drug Abuse photo)

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Senior PicturesSenior Pictures

Using methamphetamine Using methamphetamine and crack cocaine has and crack cocaine has very ugly results, like very ugly results, like loss of hair and teeth. loss of hair and teeth.

The acids released with The acids released with crack cocaine break crack cocaine break down the membranes of down the membranes of your lips and gums and your lips and gums and make blisters in your make blisters in your mouth. As the blisters mouth. As the blisters break down, harmful break down, harmful infections of your mouth infections of your mouth and gums loosen teeth and gums loosen teeth and damage gums. and damage gums.

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More Mouth DamageMore Mouth Damage

Snorting cocaine Snorting cocaine damages the damages the membranes of your membranes of your nose and mouth nose and mouth and can burn a hole and can burn a hole between your nose between your nose and the roof of your and the roof of your mouth.mouth.

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Physical Health Effects of Physical Health Effects of MethamphetamineMethamphetamine

Acne & open sores Tooth decay Hair loss Acne & open sores Severe weight loss Self-inflicted

wounds from removing hallucinatory "crank bugs"

Liver damage Kidney and lung

disorders Putrid body odor Convulsions or

seizures Heart attack or

stroke Death

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Behavioral & Mental Effects of Behavioral & Mental Effects of MethamphetamineMethamphetamine

HallucinationHallucinations s

Aggression Aggression Paranoia Paranoia Anxiety Anxiety Confusion Confusion

Mood swings Mood swings Depression Depression Insomnia Insomnia Psychotic Psychotic

behaviorbehavior

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Prescription DrugsPrescription Drugs

Any drug will Any drug will always change always change something in your something in your body. Even those body. Even those needed for needed for medical reasons medical reasons can have serious can have serious side effects that side effects that can make it easier can make it easier for germs to cause for germs to cause an infection.an infection.

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New DrugsNew DrugsNew chemicals are New chemicals are

being developed being developed under a variety of under a variety of names. The effects on names. The effects on mental and physical mental and physical health are not yet health are not yet known. One thing for known. One thing for sure, germs are sure, germs are always ready to take always ready to take advantage of any advantage of any opportunity.opportunity.

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We’re Number One!We’re Number One!And you can die. In 2010, drug overdose & illicit And you can die. In 2010, drug overdose & illicit

drug poisoning death rates ranged from 3.4 to drug poisoning death rates ranged from 3.4 to 28.9 per 100,000 population. The rate for the 28.9 per 100,000 population. The rate for the United States was 12.3. The five states with the United States was 12.3. The five states with the highest rates were Oklahoma (19.4), Nevada highest rates were Oklahoma (19.4), Nevada (20.7), Kentucky (23.6), New Mexico (23.8), and(20.7), Kentucky (23.6), New Mexico (23.8), and West Virginia (28.9), more than double the West Virginia (28.9), more than double the national rate.national rate. (CDC data, 2/12). (CDC data, 2/12).

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To find out more about the infections To find out more about the infections associated with drug use, go to one associated with drug use, go to one of the following references, or call an of the following references, or call an Infection Preventionist at your local Infection Preventionist at your local hospital. hospital.

We’re here to help.We’re here to help.

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ReferencesReferences

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Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: www.cdc.gov/idu www.cdc.gov/hepatitis www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/docs/2

012/HIV-Infections-2007-2010 www.cdc.gov/pwud/addiction.html

World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/topics/substance_abuse/en/

ReferencesReferences West Virginia Department of Health

& Human Services: http://www.dhhr.wv.gov/oeps/std-hiv-

hep/resources/Pages/default.aspx www.dhhr.wv.gov/oeps/diseases www.dhhr.wv.gov/oeps/diseases/

AtoZdocuments www.PBS.org, WGBH, May 17, 2011,

“The Meth Epidemic”

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ReferencesReferences New England Journal of Medicine, 

www.nejm.org, “Bacterial Infections in Drug Users”, authors Rachel Gordon & Franklin Lowry, NEJM 335;18, Nov 3, 2005

Emedicine.medscape.com New Zealand Dermatological Society

Inc, http://dermnetnz.org, “Skin Infections in IV Drug Users”, author Amy Stanway, Oct 10 2010

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