Table 2

Infectious disease diagnoses and co-morbidities in 344 hospitalizations among 216 IVDU*


n (%)

Types of infectious disease diagnoses:

     Skin and soft tissue infection
129 (37.5)
     Pneumonia
75 (21.8)
     Endocarditis
54 (15.7)
     Bone and joint infections
50 (14.5)
     Septic thrombosis
36 (10.5)
     Primary sepsis without focus
26 (7.6)
     Various infections
75 (21.8)
Number of simultaneous infections:

     one infection
258 (75.0)
     two infections
70 (20.3)
     three or more infections
16 (4.7)
Number of hospitalizations where surgical intervention was required
110 (32.0)

Comorbidities:

     Major psychiatric disease
52 (15.1)
     Alcohol addiction
55 (16.0)
     Nicotin addiction
265 (77.0)
     HIV infection
120 (34.9)
     Chronic hepatitis B
47 (13.7)
     Hepatitis C
268 (77.9)
     Anemia
157 (45.5)
     Deep venous thrombosis (non-septic)
23 (6.7)

IVDU = Intravenous drug users.

* seen by an ID during a period of 5 years.

447 diagnoses among 344 hospital episodes. During one hospital episode more than one diagnosis and comorbidity can be documented

Mertz et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2008 8:42   doi:10.1186/1471-2334-8-42