High Inpatient Health Care Utilization and Charges Associated With Injection Drug Use-Related Infections: A Cohort Study, 2012-2015

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Mar 5;8(3):ofab009. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab009. eCollection 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Our study describes the characteristics of patients hospitalized with injection drug use-related infection over a multiyear period in a region highly impacted by the opioid epidemic. Intensive health care needs were common in this young cohort, including high rates of readmission, high hospitalization costs, and prolonged lengths of stay.

Keywords: endocarditis; health care utilization; injection drug use; opioid use disorder; persons who inject drugs.