TABLE 2.

Identified Behaviors Related to the Self-Management of Injection-Related Wounds Among Injecting Drug Users

Behavior Description	Sample Responses by Participants*	N (%)
Nothing	“Nothing.” “Say damn, do nothing, let it come to a head.”	5 (6.1)
Avoid injecting at site	“Abstain using in the area, clean and bandage it.” “Ointment packets, stop injecting at the site.”	2 (2.4)
Soak	“Soak in Epsom salt.” “Ointment, wrap in gauze, soak in water.”	4 (4.9)
Clean	“Clean it with peroxide, Silvadene, gauze, and sterile water.” “Keep it clean with peroxide, alcohol, and antibiotic grease.” “Clean it with soap and water.”	60 (73.2)
Apply ointment	“Clean it, put on ointment.” “Clean it with peroxide and, depending on the depth, with Bacitracin.” “Soak in Epsom salts, wrap it up, and use antibiotic cream.”	39 (47.6)
Dress	“Try to get some kind of bandage or alcohol on it.” “Wipe it with alcohol, push the pus out, use antibiotic ointment and do wet-to-dry dressings.” “I bathe it and dress the wounds twice a day.”	16 (19.5)
Acquire antibiotics	“Put alcohol on it, then bleach, and see if I have any antibiotics, or I will buy some, try to get some Keflex.” “Buy antibiotics in the street, not from a doctor.”	7 (8.5)
Manipulate	“Bust it open with a needle.” “Squeeze it, get the pus out.” “Use hot water to burn the core out.” “Pick it.”	8 (9.8)

^*Underlined portion of response corresponds with coded category. Multiple categories were possible for each response.