Abstract
Background
With 337 heroin-related deaths between 2009 and 2013, Suffolk County reported more such deaths than any other county in New York State. Suffolk County’s population of 1.5 million is larger than that of some states. Compared with the rest of New York State, median annual household income is the third highest of New York’s 62 counties and the income gap between socioeconomic classes is smaller.
Methods
Detailed retrospective chart review was performed on admitted patients to Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) from November 2015 to October 2018 with active IV drug abuse and infection. Demographics, drug use characteristics, microbiology, co-morbidities, and outcome were assessed.
Results
198 active IV heroin users were admitted with a complicated infection during this time frame. Most patients were Caucasian (94%) and more were male (64%). The median age was 33 (range 17 to 58). Most patients (90%) had health insurance, many lived with others at home and were unemployed. Thirty-three were on methadone and 28 on suboxone. The median length of stay was 4.7 days (ranging from 1 to 140 days) and 29% of admitted patients left against medical advice. 60% of the patients had been admitted to a hospital in the prior 12 months. The majority (58%) presented with cellulitis, 12% were diagnosed with endocarditis, 10% with osteomyelitis, 6.5% with bacteremia/sepsis. Ten were also pregnant. Infectious disease was consulted in 55%, and Psychiatry and social worker in 46% of cases. HIV, HepC and HBV testing were not performed in less than 50% of patients. There was a total of 5 deaths during the hospitalization, 2 patients with endocarditis, 2 with sepsis and one overdose. 45% of patients with endocarditis and 43% of patients with osteomyelitis required surgical intervention. S. aureus was a common pathogen and identified in 61% of the cases, where a pathogen was isolated.
Conclusion
Our data show that even in an affluent community opioid addiction is not properly addressed during hospital admissions. As a consequence, users sign out against medical advice, have frequent hospital admissions, remain out of addiction treatment, and outcome is poor. A systematic multidisciplinary approach will be required to improve the care for this vulnerable patient population
Disclosures
All authors: No reported disclosures.
Results of the Traditional Treatment of Fractures of Patients Discharged against Medical Advice from the Orthopedics Department of the Ouahigouya Regional University Hospital (Burkina Faso)
