A two-component intervention to improve hand hygiene practices and promote alcohol-based hand rub use among people who inject drugs: a mixed-methods evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Inconsistent hand hygiene puts people who inject drugs (PWID) at high risk of infectious diseases, in particular skin and soft tissue infections. In healthcare settings, handwashing with alcohol-based hand rubs (ABRH) is recommended before aseptic procedures including intravenous injections. We aimed to evaluate the acceptability, safety and preliminary efficacy of an intervention combining ABHR provision and educational training for PWID. METHODS: A mixed-methods design was used including a pre-post quantitative study and a qualitative study. Participants were active PWID recruited in 4 harm reduction programmes of France and followed up for 6 weeks. After baseline assessment, participants received a face-to-face educational intervention. ABHR was then provided throughout the study period. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires at baseline, and weeks 2 (W2) and 6 (W6) post-intervention. Qualitative data were collected through focus groups with participants who completed the 6-week study. RESULTS: Among the 59 participants included, 48 (81%) and 43 (73%) attended W2 and W6 visits, respectively. ABHR acceptability was high and adoption rates were 50% (W2) and 61% (W6). Only a minority of participants reported adverse skin reactions (ranging from 2 to 6%). Preliminary efficacy of the intervention was shown through increased hand hygiene frequency (multivariable linear mixed model: coef. W2 = 0.58, p = 0.002; coef. W6 = 0.61, p = 0.002) and fewer self-reported injecting-related infections (multivariable logistic mixed model: AOR W6 = 0.23, p = 0.021). Two focus groups were conducted with 10 participants and showed that young PWID and those living in unstable housing benefited most from the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: ABHR for hand hygiene prior to injection are acceptable to and safe for PWID, particularly those living in unstable housing. The intervention's educational component was crucial to ensure adoption of safe practices. We also provide preliminary evidence of the intervention's efficacy through increased hand hygiene frequency and a reduced risk of infection.

Correlates of Self-Reported Cotton Fever Experience among People Who Inject Opioids.

Background: Cotton fever is a febrile syndrome occurring after intravenous drug injection. Although its clinical presentation is well described in the literature, data regarding prevention is lacking. We aimed to assess proportion and correlates of cotton fever experience among people who inject opioids. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using data from the community-based survey PrebupIV conducted in France in 2015 among 557 people who regularly injected opioids. Self-reported sociodemographic data, together with data on substance use, injecting practices and occurrence of cotton fever were all collected through face-to-face (n = 398) or online (n = 159) questionnaires. Factors associated with cotton fever experience were assessed using logistic regression model. Results: Over half of the participants (54%) reported cotton fever experience. In the multivariable logistic regression, crack cocaine injection (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 1.96, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.03-3.63), longer duration of opioid use (for 1 year of use: aOR = 1.05, 95%CI = 1.02-1.09), and filtering mainly with cotton filters (compared with membrane filters, aOR = 1.86, 95%CI = 1.24-2.78) were all associated with cotton fever experience. Conclusions: Our findings highlight that cotton fever is a frequent complication of injecting drug use. Avoiding the use and reuse of cotton balls to filter injected solutions, and promoting membrane filters use could reduce the risk of the condition occurring.

Daily or on-demand oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis: experience from a hospital-based clinic in France.

BACKGROUND: On-demand oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) has been approved for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in MSM in France following the results of clinical studies, but data are limited on real-world experience. DESIGN: A single-center, open-label, prospective cohort study that recruited people at high risk of HIV infection in Paris. METHODS: Participants were enrolled in a single hospital-based outpatient clinic and were proposed to start PrEP with daily or on demand TDF/FTC. At baseline and every 3 months thereafter, patients were tested for HIV and creatinine plasma levels, and data on sexual behavior, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and tolerability were collected. RESULTS: From 10 November 2015 to 30 April 2017, 1069 patients were screened and 1049 (98.1%) started PrEP. Median age was 36 years, 99.4% were MSM with a median number of partners of 10, and 793 (75.6%) opted for on demand PrEP. Over 486 person-years of follow-up, four HIV-infections were diagnosed in poorly or nonadherent patients (incidence 0.82/100 person-years). Rate of condomless sex at last intercourse increased from 53.3% at baseline to 79% at month 12 (P < 10), but increase in bacterial STI rates was modest (14.6% at baseline vs. 19.2% at month 12; P < 10). Most adverse events were gastrointestinal and did not lead to PrEP discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: Most PrEP users were high-risk MSM and opted for on-demand PrEP. PrEP use was associated with a low HIV incidence and a high rate of condomless sex with a modest increase in bacterial STIs.