Table 3.
Services where medical advice about a symptom at an injection site was sought in the previous 12 months, and how quickly the advice was sought and whether antibiotics were prescribed on the last occasion among people who inject drugs
| Abscess | Sore or open wound | Redness, swelling and tenderness | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | (%) | n | (%) | n | (%) | |
| Where was advice sought from for the symptom during the preceding year? | ||||||
| Accident and emergency | 17 | (45) | 55 | (49) | 59 | (38) |
| General Practitioner or family doctor | 16 | (42) | 53 | (47) | 86 | (54) |
| Needle exchange | 3 | (8·0) | 8 | (7·3) | 10 | (6·4) |
| Other drug service | 2 | (5·7) | 5 | (4·2) | 9 | (5·4) |
| Pharmacy | 1 | (2·9) | 2 | (2·1) | 4 | (2·8) |
| Hostel or homeless service | 1 | (3·4) | 2 | (2·2) | 4 | (2·4) |
| Other | 2 | (4·7) | 3 | (2·3) | 4 | (2·8) |
| Total | 39 | 112 | 158 | |||
| How long after the last occasion the symptom appeared was advice sought? | ||||||
| Same or next day | 9 | (23) | 21 | (19) | 38 | (24) |
| 2–4 days later | 13 | (33) | 41 | (36) | 64 | (41) |
| ⩾5 days later | 17 | (44) | 50 | (45) | 55 | (35) |
| Total | 39 | 112 | 156 | |||
| Were participants given antibiotics on the last occasion they had symptoms? | ||||||
| Yes | 36 | (93) | 102 | (91) | 129 | (81) |
| Total | 39 | 112 | 158 | |||