Adolescent consumers of opioids and other drugs at higher risk of infectious disease: study – Xinhua

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) – Adolescents and young adults who consume opioids and other drugs are at increased risk of contracting infectious hepatitis C disease, according to a new study released today. A medical conference that is being held here this week.

This study is the first to be interested in opioid use and screening for hepatitis C among youth at risk. The researchers found that most vulnerable people were not tested for infectious disease risk and therefore did not receive life-saving treatment. American Society of Infectious Disease Control (IDSA), one of four organizers of the 2018 San Francisco IDweek, joint conference of four US medical associations.

The researchers examined the electronic medical records of 269,124 adolescents and young adults aged 13 to 21, who visited one of 57 federally registered health centers in 19 states from 2012 to 2017.

Of the 875 people diagnosed with opioid disorder, only 36% were screened for hepatitis C, of ​​which 11% had been exposed to hepatitis C and 6.8% had clear signs chronic hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C, which is an infection of the liver, has killed more than 18,000 Americans in 2016, the most common cause of death for a reportable infectious disease, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. diseases.

The disease can be transmitted through the sharing of drug injection needles and people who do not receive medical treatment within the prescribed time frame may develop liver failure, liver cancer or chronic liver disease ( cirrhosis) several years after their infection.

The study examined a total of more than 250,000 young adults at risk and many of them were neglected during the opioid crisis, as only one-third of those diagnosed with lupus have been tested for hepatitis C.

"Screening for the excessive use of drugs and other drugs, then screening for hepatitis C in high-risk people can help us better eliminate this serious infection," said Rachel L. Epstein , lead author of the study, researcher at the Boston Medical Center.

Adolescents and young adults who are not screened for their use of opioids or other drugs for lack of time or for other reasons constitute "a neglected group that presents a high risk". Hepatitis C, said Epstein.

IDweek 2018, which opened in San Francisco on October 3 and is scheduled to end on Sunday, is an annual medical conference to advance science and improve care. The next meeting is scheduled for Washington DC in early October.