       Document 0058
 DOCN  M9620058
 TI    Reduced risk of hepatitis B and hepatitis C among injection drug users
       in the Tacoma syringe exchange program [see comments]
 DT    9602
 AU    Hagan H; Jarlais DC; Friedman SR; Purchase D; Alter MJ; Seattle-King
       County Department of Public Health, Wash. 98104,; USA.
 SO    Am J Public Health. 1995 Nov;85(11):1531-7. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96036583
 CM    Comment in: Am J Public Health 1995 Nov;85(11):1490-1
 AB    OBJECTIVES. This case-control study examined the association between
       syringe exchange use and hepatitis B and C in injection drug users.
       METHODS. Case patients included 28 injection drug users with acute
       hepatitis B and 20 with acute hepatitis C reported to the health
       department in a sentinel hepatitis surveillance county; control subjects
       were injection drug users with no markers of exposure to hepatitis B or
       C (n = 38 and 26, respectively) attending health department services
       during the same period. Data were abstracted from clinic records.
       RESULTS. Seventy-five percent of case patients with hepatitis B and 26%
       of control subjects had never used the exchange; similar proportions
       were found for the hepatitis C case and control groups. After adjustment
       for demographic characteristics and duration of injecting drugs, nonuse
       of the exchange was associated with a sixfold greater risk of hepatitis
       B (odds ratio [OR] = 5.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5, 20.4) and
       a sevenfold greater risk of hepatitis C (OR = 7.3; 95% CI = 1.6, 32.8).
       CONCLUSIONS. The results suggest that use of the exchange led to a
       significant reduction in hepatitis B and hepatitis C in the county and
       may have also prevented a substantial proportion of human
       immunodeficiency virus infections in injection drug users.
 DE    Acute Disease  Adult  Age Factors  Case-Control Studies  Female
       Hepatitis B/*ETIOLOGY/*PREVENTION & CONTROL  Hepatitis
       C/*ETIOLOGY/*PREVENTION & CONTROL  Human  Male  Needle-Exchange
       Programs/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA/*UTILIZATION  Risk Factors  Sex Factors
       Substance Abuse, Intravenous/*COMPLICATIONS  Washington  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

