An outbreak of HIV infection among people who inject drugs in northeastern Massachusetts: findings and lessons learned from a medical record review

Table 2 Drug and alcohol use and treatment among patients with HIV infection whose medical records were reviewed, northeast Massachusetts, 2018 (N = 88)

	n^a	%
Drug alcohol and drug use during the review period
Active use in review period	63	72
History of use/inactive in review period	8	9
History of use/inactive in review period, on suboxone	11	13
No history	5	6
Missing	1	1
Among those with documented active drug or alcohol use (n = 63), substances used (categories not mutually exclusive)
Alcohol	10	16
Cocaine	34	54
Heroin	50	79
Other opiates	23	37
Methamphetamine	1	2
Recreational use of prescription drugs	1	2
Not documented	3	5
Other^b	8	13
Route of drug use (n = 63) (categories not mutually exclusive)
Injection	59	94
Intranasal	9	14
Smoking	7	11
Oral	9	14
Not Documented	3	5
Treatment for drug/alcohol use for active substance users (n = 63), modality (categories not mutually exclusive)
Medication assisted treatment	39	62
In treatment, another modality^c	23	37
Counseled by provider	15	24
No action indicated	4	6
Among those reporting another modality of treatment (n = 23), modality (categories not mutually exclusive)
Counseling	9	39
Twelve-step program	3	13
Halfway/sober house	9	39
Other	10	43

^aMedical record review period was May 1, 2016 through date of data abstraction (abstraction done May 17 to June 6, 2018), and all characteristics were assessed during the review period
^bOther active substances include suboxone/fentanyl (n = 1), methadone/fentanyl (n = 1), bath salts (n = 1), benzodiazepine (n = 2), marijuana (n = 3)
^cIncludes dedicated drug or alcohol counseling program, 12-step program, halfway/sober house, and other [detox program (n = 6), referral made (n = 3), and residential program (n = 1)]

ISSN: 1471-2458