Table 1.
Demographic, Clinical, Substance Use, and Staphylococcus aureus Infection Characteristics Among Persons Who Use Drugs (PWUD) and Non-PWUD Individuals Hospitalized for Invasive Disease
| Characteristic | PWUD (n = 372) | No History of Drug Use (Non-PWUD) (n = 591) | P Valuea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic | |||
| Age, y, median (IQR) | 50 (40–57) | 60 (50–71) | <.001b |
| Male sex | 264 (71) | 407 (69) | .49 |
| Race/ethnicity | <.001 | ||
| White | 218 (59) | 251 (43) | |
| Black/African American | 76 (20) | 79 (13) | |
| Hispanic/Latinx | 47 (13) | 88 (15) | |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 8 (2) | 128 (22) | |
| Other | 23 (6) | 45 (8) | |
| Experiencing homelessness | 136 (37) | 27 (5) | <.001 |
| Clinical | |||
| Charlson comorbidity score, median (IQR) | 2 (0–4) | 4 (2–7) | <.001b |
| HIV positive | 68 (18) | 22 (4) | <.001 |
| Immunosuppressedc | 77 (21) | 165 (28) | .01 |
| History of hepatitis C infection | 177 (48) | 15 (3) | <.001 |
| Any mental health condition | 129 (35) | 148 (25) | .001 |
| Substance use | |||
| Injection route described | 258 (69) | … | |
| Recent drug use (<1 mo) | 264 (71) | … | |
| Drug type | |||
| Heroin | 198 (53) | … | |
| Any opioid | 214 (58) | … | |
| Cocaine | 139 (37) | … | |
| Methamphetamine | 185 (50) | … | |
| Opioid and stimulant | 145 (39) | … | |
| Other | 17 (5) | … | |
| Risky alcohol use/AUDd | 73 (20) | 69 (12) | .002 |
| S. aureus infection type | |||
| MRSA infection | 180 (48) | 183 (31) | <.001 |
| Type of infection | |||
| Bacteremia | 275 (74) | 514 (87) | <.001 |
| Endocarditis | 76 (20) | 70 (12) | <.001 |
| Vertebral osteomyelitis | 104 (28) | 76 (13) | <.001 |
| Epidural abscess | 92 (25) | 66 (11) | <.001 |
| Two or more of the above | 175 (47) | 142 (24) | <.001 |
| Pitt bacteremia score, median (IQR) | 1 (0–2) | 1 (0–2) | .56b |
| Duration of bacteremia, d, median (IQR)e | 3 (2–5) | 2 (2–4) | <.01b |
| ICU admission during hospital course | 145 (39) | 265 (45) | .001 |
Data are presented as No. (%) unless otherwise indicated.
Abbreviations: AUD, alcohol use disorder; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; ICU, intensive care unit; IQR, interquartile range; MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; PWUD, people who use drugs.
a P values were calculated using χ 2 test unless otherwise indicated.
b P value calculated using Wilcoxon rank-sum test.
cImmunosuppressed defined as those with HIV, chronic exposure to daily prednisone ≥10 mg, biologic agents or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, hematologic malignancy, or chemotherapy.
dDiagnosed with AUD or noted to consume more than 3 or 4 alcoholic drinks daily in women and men, respectively.
eAmong those with bacteremia.