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Chronic venous insufficiency in persons with a history of injection drug use ¶
Author(s) -
Pieper Barbara,
Templin Thomas
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.1042
Subject(s) - medicine , chronic venous insufficiency , groin , cellulitis , deep vein , population , injection drug use , vein , surgery , drug , thrombosis , venous thrombosis , drug injection , environmental health , psychiatry
Persons with a history of injection drug use have many risk factors for the development of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), yet this phenomenon has not been studied systematically in this population. Persons ( N = 204) with a history of injection drug use who were in enrolled in a treatment center were examined for clinical manifestations of CVI. The CVI clinical classification was graded on a 7‐point scale for each leg. Most participants ( n = 179, 87.7%) exhibited clinical evidence of CVI. Significant predictors of CVI clinical manifestations were leg infections/cellulitis (ρ = .53); years injection in the veins of the groin, legs, and feet (ρ = .47); deep vein thrombosis (ρ = .37); and total years injection heroin (ρ = .27). There was a linear functional relationship between years of injection drug use and the CVI clinical classification, but only when the injections were in the veins of the groin, legs, or feet; otherwise, the specific mechanisms of this relationship were not evident. The findings indicate that CVI is a common occurrence in persons who have injected drugs. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 24:423–432, 2001