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Drug Use Is Associated With Purulent Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in a Large Urban Jail: 2011-2015
Betsy Szeto1, Fatos Kaba2, Carolyn T A Herzig1,3
1Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University.
Open Forum Infectious Diseases
|July 23, 2020
Summary
Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in jails are linked to drug use. Identifying drug use at jail entry can help prevent these infections, potentially through harm reduction programs.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Criminology
Background:
- Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are prevalent in U.S. correctional facilities.
- Understanding risk factors for SSTIs in jail populations is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors associated with purulent SSTIs within the New York City jail system.
- To inform targeted prevention strategies for SSTIs in incarcerated individuals.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study design was employed.
- Cases of purulent SSTIs were matched to controls by urgent care clinic visit date.
- Conditional logistic regression was used for bivariate and multivariable analyses.
Main Results:
- 1010 cases and 1010 matched controls were analyzed.
- Factors significantly associated with SSTIs included reported injection drug use (OR=2.76), snorting drugs (OR=1.50), heroin use (OR=1.53), cocaine use (OR=1.76), and recent antibiotic use (OR=4.05).
- Drug use reported at jail entry was a strong predictor of SSTI diagnosis.
Conclusions:
- History of drug use at jail entry is strongly associated with SSTIs.
- Targeting intravenous drug use may serve as a key preventive strategy.
- Harm reduction programs should be considered for SSTI prevention in jail populations.