A NEW ABCESSION –
Jan. 2022 – This was initially reported with infective endocarditis (IE), of which there was a more than 12-fold increase over a 6-year period (2010 to 2015) in North Carolina, from 0.2 to 2.7 cases per 100,000 persons per year, according to researchers. This trend of increased IE in PWUD was seen nationwide, with the incidence doubling between 2002 and 2016. Another study found a rise in other serious bacterial infections from 2012 to 2017, including osteomyelitis (OM), central nervous system abscesses, and acute bacterial skin and soft tissue infections (ABSSSI). These serious bacterial infections often require 2 to 6 weeks of therapy with IV antibiotics given as outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT), which is not always feasible for PWUD.
