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Table 2 Factors associated with healthcare seeking among injecting drug users reporting an injection site infection in past year: England 2003/05.

From: Frequency, factors and costs associated with injection site infections: Findings from a national multi-site survey of injecting drug users in England

  

Yes

N

(Total = 365)

Univariate Odds

Ratio with 95%

confidence interval

Mulitvariate Adjusted

Odds Ratio with 95%

confidence interval

Received prescribed substitute drug

Currently

138

182

76%

1.0

 

1.0

 
 

Previously

94

147

64%

0.6

0.4 – 0.9

0.5

0.3 – 0.9

 

Never

15

36

42%

0.2

0.1 – 0.5

0.3

0.1 – 0.7

Inject into groin last 4 weeks

No

100

174

57%

1.0

 

1.0

 
 

Yes

147

191

77%

2.5

1.6 – 3.9

2.1

1.3 – 3.4

Clean injecting site last 4 weeks

Never

113

184

61%

1.0

 

1.0

 
 

Sometimes

58

85

68%

1.3

0.8 – 2.3

1.4

0.8 – 2.6

 

Always

76

96

79%

2.4

1.3 – 4.2

2.5

1.4 – 4.6

Ever had voluntary confidential test for hepatitis C

Yes

195

257

76%

3.4

2.1 – 5.4

3.5

2.1 – 5.8

 

No

52

108

48%

1.0

 

1.0

 

Number of years injecting

<= 4

25

53

47%

1.0

 

†

 
 

5 – 9

80

120

67%

2.2

1.2 – 4.3

  
 

10 – 14

64

84

76%

3.6

1.7 – 7.5

  
 

15 +

78

108

72%

2.9

1.5 – 5.8

  

Inject into arm last 4 weeks

No

72

94

77%

1.0

 

†

 
 

Yes

175

271

65%

0.6

0.3 – 1.0

  

Ever had voluntary confidential test for HIV

No

71

132

54%

1.0

 

†

 
 

Yes

176

233

76%

2.7

1.7 – 4.2

  

Anti-HCV Positive

No

80

134

60%

1.0

 

†

 
 

Yes

167

231

72%

1.8

1.1 – 2.8

  
  1. † Variable not in final model.
  2. Note: Seeking health care an injection site infection was found not to be associated with: gender; age; homelessness; having been imprisoned; having had an overdose; cleaning needles and syringes before reuse; injecting crack-cocaine; injecting amphetamines; number of days injecting per month; number times inject per day; using citric acid, vitamin c/ascorbic acid, lemon juice, or vinegar to dissolve drugs; injecting into legs, neck or hands; number times used last needle; washing hands before injection; and uptake of hepatitis B vaccine.