Table 1.
Characteristics of Patients Admitted to Hospitals in England With Opioid Injection–associated Bacterial Infections, 2002–2021
| Variable | Level | Number (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 92 303 (100.0) | |
| Age | 15–24 | 4898 (5.3) |
| 25–34 | 32 382 (35.1) | |
| 35–44 | 38 511 (41.7) | |
| 45–54 | 14 234 (15.4) | |
| 55–64 | 2278 (2.5) | |
| Median [IQR] | 37 [31–42] | |
| Mean [SD] | 37.0 [8.2] | |
| Sex | Female | 25 944 (28.1) |
| Male | 66 359 (71.9) | |
| Ethnicitya | White British or White Other | 85 809 (93.0) |
| Black/African/Caribbean/Black British | 853 (0.9) | |
| Asian/Asian British | 703 (0.8) | |
| Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups | 899 (1.0) | |
| Other ethnicity or unknown | 4039 (4.4) | |
| Index of Multiple Deprivationa | 1—most deprived | 52 657 (57.0) |
| 2 | 20 403 (22.1) | |
| 4 | 10 024 (10.9) | |
| 3 | 5325 (5.8) | |
| 5—least deprived | 2746 (3.0) | |
| Missing | 1148 (1.2) | |
| Record of homelessness | 7602 (8.2) | |
| Discharge method | With clinical advice | 73 598 (79.7) |
| Before medically advised | 14 899 (16.1) | |
| Died | 732 (0.8) | |
| Other | 3074 (3.3) | |
| Duration (d) | Median [IQR] | 3 [1–5] |
| Mean [SD] | 4.8 [6.9] | |
| 28-d readmission | 17 366 (18.8) | |
| Operative procedure | 31 283 (33.9) | |
| Primary diagnosis | Cutaneous abscess | 29 634 (32.1) |
| Cellulitis | 20 046 (21.7) | |
| Other skin and soft-tissue infections | 8377 (9.1) | |
| Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis | 21 833 (23.7) | |
| Endocarditis | 2152 (2.3) | |
| Septicemia | 6087 (6.6) | |
| Osteomyelitis or septic arthritis | 3905 (4.2) | |
| Necrotizing fasciitis | 269 (0.3) |
Abbreviations: IQR = interquartile range; SD = standard deviation.
Where ethnicity or Index of Multiple Deprivation data were missing, we used the most recent nonmissing value from other hospital admissions for that individual. Ethnicity categories are based on the UK Office for National Statistics approach.