Using Population Based Hospitalization Data to Monitor Increases in Conditions Causing Morbidity Among Persons Who Inject Drugs

Epidemics of opioid use and injection drug use (IDU) are associated with an increase in HIV and viral hepatitis infections and overdose deaths in the United States. Persons who inject drugs (PWID) are also at risk for serious infections caused by skin organisms introduced via IDU. We examined National Inpatient Sample hospital discharge data to determine trends in three serious infectious disease-associated conditions that primarily affect PWID in addition to HIV and viral hepatitis: infective endocarditis (IE), central nervous system (CNS) abscesses, and osteomyelitis. We found an increase in the number of primary hospitalization discharge diagnoses for IE among persons aged ≤39 years from 2009 to 2013. Hospitalization rates for these diagnoses also increased over this study period for person with secondary diagnoses of hepatitis B, C, or D viruses and substance-related disorders for IE, CNS abscess and osteomyelitis. Policies that improve access to sterile injection equipment, improve education regarding IDU, and treatment for substance use disorder may help to reduce the impact of serious and often fatal infectious diseases among PWID.