Usefulness of dried blood spot samples for monitoring hepatitis C treatment outcome and reinfection among people who inject drugs in a test-and-treat program.

Dried blood spots (DBS) are a reliable tool to diagnose viremic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We evaluated the clinical performance of a DBS-based molecular assay for the assessment of cure and reinfection after on-site treatment at a harm reduction center (HRC). Genotyping from DBS samples was also assessed to discriminate reinfection from treatment failure. People who inject drugs (PWID) from an ongoing test-and-treat pilot at the largest HRC in Barcelona were included in the study. HCV-RNA detection from DBS collected after treatment (with follow-up at 12, 36, and 60 weeks) was compared with a molecular point-of-care test using finger-stick blood (GeneXpert). Baseline and follow-up DBS samples were genotyped by NS5B sequencing or commercial real-time PCR. Among treated patients, 193 follow-up DBS samples were tested. The DBS-based assay showed 100% specificity (129/129), and sensitivity ranged from 84.4% to 96.1% according to different viral load cut-offs (from detectable to 3000 IU/mL). Sensitivity as test of cure (follow-up 12) ranged from 85.1% to 97.4%. Among the 64 patients with recurrent viremia, 10.9% had low viral loads (≤1000 IU/mL); HCV genotyping allowed us to classify 73.5% of viremic cases either as reinfection or as treatment failure. DBS samples are useful to assess cure and differentiate reinfection from relapse after HCV antiviral treatment in the real world, facilitating decentralization of treatment and posttreatment follow-up in PWID. However, a fraction of patients presented with low viral loads, limiting viremia detection and genotyping in DBS and, therefore, repeat testing is recommended.

HCV microelimination in harm reduction centres has benefits beyond HCV cure but is hampered by high reinfection rates.

Background & Aims: Significant scale-up of treatment among people who inject drugs (PWID) is crucial to achieve WHO HCV elimination targets. We explored the impact of on-site HCV diagnosis and treatment on PWID in an externalised hepatology clinic at the biggest harm reduction centre (HRC) in Barcelona attending to a marginalised PWID population with ongoing high-risk practices. Methods: On-site HCV point-of-care testing was performed for diagnosis and treatment delivery. HCV-RNA was assessed at SVR12 (sustained virologic response at 12 weeks) and every 6 months. The programme included behavioural questionnaires at baseline and after treatment. Results: Between 2018 and 2020, 919 individuals were prospectively enrolled. Of these, only 46% accepted HCV screening. HCV-RNA+ prevalence was 55.7% (n = 234). Of the 168 (72%) individuals starting treatment, 48% were foreigners, 32% homeless, 73% unemployed, and 62% had a history of incarceration. At enrolment, 70% injected drugs daily and 30% reported sharing needles or paraphernalia. Intention-to-treat SVR12 was 60%; only 4% were virological failures, the remaining were either early reinfections (20%) or losses to follow-up (16%). The overall reinfection rate during follow-up was 31/100 persons/year. HIV coinfection and daily injection were associated with a higher risk of reinfection. Nonetheless, beyond viral clearance, antiviral therapy was associated with a significant reduction in injection frequency, risk practices, and homelessness. Conclusions: HCV treatment can be successfully delivered to active PWID with high-risk practices and has a significant benefit beyond HCV elimination. However, approaching this difficult spectrum of the PWID population implies significant barriers such as low rate of screening acceptance and high dropout and reinfection rates. Lay summary: People who inject drugs attending harm reduction centres represent the most difficult population to treat for hepatitis C. We show that hepatitis C treatment has a significant benefit beyond viral cure, including improving quality of life, and decreasing injection frequency and risk practices. However, intrinsic barriers and the high reinfection rates hamper the achievement of viral microelimination in this setting.

Pilot hepatitis C micro-elimination strategy in Pakistani migrants in Catalonia through a community intervention.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Pakistani migrants in Catalonia, Spain, could have high hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence. The aims of the HepClink study were (i) to implement and assess the quality of a micro-elimination strategy based on a community intervention and (ii) to obtain data from primary care (PC) registries as a baseline comparator. METHODS: The community intervention targeted Pakistani adults and consisted of education, screening and simplified access to treatment. Quality indicators were calculated (effectiveness, impact and acceptability). The testing rate, the prevalence of HCV antibodies and HCV-RNA were compared with those observed in the Pakistani population accessing PC in the previous year. RESULTS: A total of 505 participants were recruited through the community intervention (64.6% men, median 37 years) vs those accessing PC (N = 25 455, 70.9% men, median 38 years). Among study participants, 35.1% did not know about HCV and 9.7% had been previously tested. The testing rate in the community intervention was 99.4% vs 50.7% in PC. Prevalence was 4.6% vs 7.1% (p = .008) for HCV antibodies and 1.4% (3/6 new diagnoses) vs 2.4% (p = .183) for HCV-RNA. Among the six viremic patients, three began treatment within the intervention and two through the usual circuit and all completed the full course. CONCLUSIONS: This novel community intervention was well accepted and effective at reaching a Pakistani migrant population with a low-level knowledge of HCV and largely not tested before. The observed prevalence and the high unawareness of their HCV status justify a targeted screening in this group both in the community and in PC.

Hepatitis C virus: Testing rate and attrition at linkage to specialized care, Catalonia, Spain 2011-2016.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening through primary care providers (PCP) might increase linkage to specialized care. This study aimed to calculate HCV testing rate and prevalence of anti-HCV according to socio-demographic factors in primary care in Catalonia, Spain, from 2011 to 2016, and to identify the rate and determinants of attrition at linkage to specialized care. Patient data from 274 primary care centres (3414 PCP) were analysed, including socio-demographic information, morbidity, laboratory tests and treatments (1-Jan-2011 to 31-Dec-2016). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine HCV testing rate, HCV seroprevalence and rate of attrition at linkage to specialized care. In the study period, there were 839 072 people tested for HCV infection and 21 156 with first-time positive anti-HCV test results. Rate of HCV testing was 143.54/103 pop (95% CI: 143.26-143.83). Women had higher HCV testing rate (158.65/103 women [95% CI: 158.24-159.07]), compared to men (128.10/103 men [95% CI: 127.72-128.49]). The highest HCV testing rate was among people aged 25-34 (284.11/103 pop [CIs: 283.10-285.12]). The anti-HCV seroprevalence was 3.62/103 pop (CIs: 3.57-3.67). The highest prevalence was found among men (4.20/103 men [CIs: 4.12-4.27]), people aged 45-54 (7.19/103 pop [CIs: 7.01-7.37]), people aged 75-84 (7.26/103 pop [CIs: 6.99-7.53]), Spanish (3.68/103 [CIs: 3.61-3.75]), European and Northern Americans (5.64/103 [CIs: 5.33-5.96]) and Asians (9.78/103 [CIs: 9.21-10.35]). From those who had a positive anti-HCV result, 49.8% (N = 10 528) were not linked to specialized care. Appropriate clinical care pathways and referral systems need to be established to ensure optimal linkage to specialized care for people newly diagnosed with HCV in primary care.

Women who inject drugs and violence: Need for an integrated response. / Mujeres que usan drogas inyectadas y violencia: Necesidad de una respuesta integrada.

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of physical and/or sexual violence experienced by women who inject drugs (WWID) and identify associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 WWID in a network of harm reduction centres using an anonymous questionnaire. Oral fluid samples were also collected to estimate the prevalence of HIV and hepatitis C. Univariate and multivariate Poisson regression models with robust variance were performed to identify the factors associated with experiencing violence, obtaining prevalence ratios (PR) and their 95% confidence intervals. The results showed that the prevalence of violence reported by WWID in the last 12 months was 45.8% (42.2% physical and 11.9% sexual aggression). In multivariate analysis, variables associated with experiencing violence were homelessness (PR = 1.59; CI: 1.07-2.38), reporting exchanges of sex for money or drugs (PR = 1.65; CI: 1.19-2.29), reporting a previous sexually transmitted infection (PR = 1.49; CI: 1.04-2.15) and/or injecting drugs less frequently than daily (RP = 2.29; CI: 1.49-3.54). This study highlights the importance of establishing detection protocols and systems of referral to the network of attention to women suffering violence, within the centres of the drug addiction care network, as well as the development of multilevel strategies that take into account not only individual factors but also other social and/or structural aspects that may be playing a relevant role in addressing this problem.

El objetivo de este estudio fue describir la prevalencia de violencia física y/o sexual experimentada por mujeres que usan drogas por vía inyectada (MUDVI) e identificar factores asociados. Se realizó un estudio transversal en 120 MUDVI usuarias de centros de reducción de daños mediante un cuestionario anónimo y recogida de muestras de fluido oral para estimar la prevalencia del VIH y de la hepatitis C. Los factores asociados a la presencia de violencia se analizaron mediante un modelo de regresión de Poisson con varianza robusta univariante y multivariante, obteniendo razones de prevalencia (RP) y sus intervalos de confianza al 95%. Los resultados muestran que la prevalencia de  agresiones en los últimos 12 meses fue del 45,8% (42,2% agresiones físicas y 11,9% agresiones sexuales). A nivel multivariante, las variables asociadas a la presencia de violencia fueron estar sin domicilio fijo (RP=1,59; IC: 1,07-2,38), ejercer el trabajo sexual (RP=1,65; IC: 1,19-2,29), haber sufrido alguna infección de transmisión sexual (RP=1,49; IC: 1,04-2,15) y/o inyectarse drogas no de forma diaria (RP=2,29; IC: 1,49-3,54). Este estudio pone de manifiesto la importancia de establecer protocolos de detección, y derivación a la red de atención a la violencia de género, dentro de los centros de la red de atención a las drogodependencias, así como el desarrollo de estrategias multinivel que tengan en cuenta no solamente factores individuales sino también otros aspectos sociales y/o estructurales que pueden estar jugando un papel relevante a la hora de abordar este problema.

The hepatitis C care cascade among people who inject drugs accessing harm reduction services in Catalonia: Major gaps for migrants.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to describe the HCV cascade of care among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Catalonia, as well as to compare the observed gaps in care between Spanish-born and migrant PWID. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of PWID (N = 410) attending four harm reduction services (HRS) was performed in 2016-17 (HepCdetect II Study). Participants were tested for both HCV antibodies (rapid testing) and RNA (from dried blood spot samples). The HCV care cascade was estimated from HCV testing results combined with self-reported data on previous testing, diagnosis and treatment collected through a questionnaire. Logistic regressions were used to test for an association between migration status and the proportions observed in each step of the HCV care cascade adjusting for age, sex, years of injection, homelessness, and treatment for drug dependence. RESULTS: Overall, 85.4% were men and 28.0% were migrants. Among Spanish-born (n = 295) and migrant (n = 115) PWID participants in the study, 96.6% vs. 88.6% had previously been HCV screened (AOR=3.11; 95% CI: 1.11-8.65), 79.3% vs. 80.9% were antibody positive, and 70.7% vs. 67.6% were HCV-RNA positive or cured with treatment; among the latter, 36.6% vs. 18.2% had started treatment (AOR=2.41; 95% CI: 1.09-5.34), and 20.6% vs. 9.1% had been cured by treatment, respectively. Unawareness of having hepatitis C was more common among migrants than Spanish-born PWID (46.0% and 31.5%, respectively; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study estimates the HCV care cascade among Spanish-born and migrant PWID in Catalonia for the very first time, and highlights a higher attrition of migrant PWID in all HCV care cascade stages. The observed limited linkage to care and treatment by PWID that attend the HRS network warrants future implementation of decentralized diagnosis and antiviral treatment. Strategies focusing on migrants by increasing HCV screening coverage and treatment access will be especially relevant in our setting.

Mujeres que usan drogas inyectadas y violencia: Necesidad de una respuesta integrada / Women who inject drugs and violence: Need for an integrated response

El objetivo de este estudio fue describir la prevalencia de violenciafísica y/o sexual experimentada por mujeres que usan drogas porvía inyectada (MUDVI) e identificar factores asociados. Se realizó unestudio transversal en 120 MUDVI usuarias de centros de reducción dedaños mediante un cuestionario anónimo y recogida de muestras defluido oral para estimar la prevalencia del VIH y de la hepatitis C. Losfactores asociados a la presencia de violencia se analizaron medianteun modelo de regresión de Poisson con varianza robusta univariante ymultivariante, obteniendo razones de prevalencia (RP) y sus intervalosde confianza al 95%. Los resultados muestran que la prevalencia de agresiones en los últimos 12 meses fue del 45,8% (42,2% agresionesfísicas y 11,9% agresiones sexuales). A nivel multivariante, las variablesasociadas a la presencia de violencia fueron estar sin domicilio fijo(RP=1,59; IC: 1,07-2,38), ejercer el trabajo sexual (RP=1,65; IC: 1,19-2,29), haber sufrido alguna infección de transmisión sexual (RP=1,49;IC: 1,04-2,15) y/o inyectarse drogas no de forma diaria (RP=2,29;IC: 1,49-3,54). Este estudio pone de manifiesto la importancia deestablecer protocolos de detección, y derivación a la red de atencióna la violencia de género, dentro de los centros de la red de atencióna las drogodependencias, así como el desarrollo de estrategiasmultinivel que tengan en cuenta no solamente factores individualessino también otros aspectos sociales y/o estructurales que puedenestar jugando un papel relevante a la hora de abordar este problema. (AU)

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of physical and/or sexual violence experienced by women who inject drugs (WWID)and identify associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conductedamong 120 WWID in a network of harm reduction centres using ananonymous questionnaire. Oral fluid samples were also collectedto estimate the prevalence of HIV and hepatitis C. Univariate andmultivariate Poisson regression models with robust variance wereperformed to identify the factors associated with experiencingviolence, obtaining prevalence ratios (PR) and their 95% confidenceintervals. The results showed that the prevalence of violence reportedby WWID in the last 12 months was 45.8% (42.2% physical and 11.9%sexual aggression). In multivariate analysis, variables associated withexperiencing violence were homelessness (PR = 1.59; CI: 1.07-2.38),reporting exchanges of sex for money or drugs (PR = 1.65; CI: 1.19-2.29), reporting a previous sexually transmitted infection (PR =1.49; CI: 1.04-2.15) and/or injecting drugs less frequently than daily(RP = 2.29; CI: 1.49-3.54). This study highlights the importance ofestablishing detection protocols and systems of referral to the networkof attention to women suffering violence, within the centres of thedrug addiction care network, as well as the development of multilevelstrategies that take into account not only individual factors but alsoother social and/or structural aspects that may be playing a relevantrole in addressing this problem. (AU)

Monitoring hepatitis C virus treatment rates in an Opioid Treatment Program: A longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are recommended for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients treated with methadone or buprenorphine. AIM: To assess HCV treatment rates in an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP). METHODS: This longitudinal study included 501 patients (81.4% men, median age: 45 years; interquartile range: 39-50 years) enrolled in an OTP between October 2015 and September 2017. Patients were followed until September 2019. Data on socio-demographics, substance use, HCV infection, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and laboratory parameters were collected at entry. We analyzed medical records to evaluate HCV treatment. Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression models were used to analyze the DAA treatment uptake and to identify treatment predictors. RESULTS: Prevalence of HCV and HIV infection was 70% and 34%, respectively. Among anti-HCV-positive (n = 336) patients, 47.2%, 41.3%, and 31.9% used alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine, respectively. HCV-RNA tests were positive in 233 (69.3%) patients. Twentyeight patients (8.3%) cleared the infection, and 59/308 (19.1%) had received interferon-based treatment regimens before 2015. Among 249 patients eligible, 111 (44.6%) received DAAs. Treatment rates significantly increased over time from 7.8/100 person-years (p-y) (95%CI: 5.0-12.3) in 2015 to 18.9/100 p-y (95%CI: 11.7-30.3) in 2019. In a multivariate analysis, patients with HIV co-infection were twice as likely to receive DAAs (HR = 1.94, 95%CI: 1.21-3.12) than patients with HCV mono-infection. Current drug use was an independent risk factor for not receiving treatment against infection (HR = 0.48, 95%CI: 0.29-0.80). CONCLUSION: HCV treatment is evolving in patients with HCV-HIV co-infection. Ongoing drug use while in an OTP might negatively impact the readiness to treat infection.

Utility of a one-step screening and diagnosis strategy for viremic HCV infection among people who inject drugs in Catalonia.

BACKGROUND: In Catalonia (Spain), people who inject drugs (PWID) face numerous barriers to access to mainstream healthcare services for hepatitis C confirmatory diagnosis and treatment, so simplified testing strategies for viremic infection are urgently needed. Among PWID attending harm-reduction services in Catalonia, we aimed (i) to assess the utility of an in-house HCV-RNA detection assay on dried blood spots (DBS) as a one-step screening and confirmatory diagnosis strategy for hepatitis C, (ii) to estimate the prevalence of viremic HCV infection, and (iii) to identify factors associated with unawareness of viremic infection. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of current PWID (N â€¯= 410) was performed in four harm-reduction services. All participants underwent HCV antibody point-of-care testing and parallel DBS collection for centralized RNA testing. An epidemiological questionnaire was administered. Paired EDTA-plasma samples were additionally collected for HCV viral load testing in 300 participants. RESULTS: HCV-RNA testing from DBS was feasible and showed 97.2% sensitivity and 100% specificity for viral loads >3000 IU/mL in real-life conditions. No significant differences in the performance when detecting viremic infections were observed between this one-step testing strategy vs. the conventional two-step algorithm involving venepuncture. Overall HCV seroprevalence was 79.8%, and prevalence of viremic infection was 58.5%. Importantly, 35.8% of viremic HCV participants were unaware of their status, and no specific socio-demographic or bio-behavioral factors independently associated with unawareness of viremic infection were identified. Among participants reporting a past or current HCV infection, 29.0% stated having received HCV antiviral treatment. CONCLUSION: The high viremic HCV infection burden among PWID attending HRS, estimated for the first time in Catalonia, together with the low levels of awareness of viremic status and access to treatment, suggest that scaling up this one-step screening and diagnosis strategy to the network of harm-reduction services would help to achieve HCV elimination targets set by the World Health Organization.

Drug consumption rooms in Catalonia: A comprehensive evaluation of social, health and harm reduction benefits.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite the availability of several drug consumption rooms (DCR) in different European countries few epidemiological studies have evaluated their benefits. A network of DCR for people who inject drugs (PWID) has existed in Catalonia since 2000. We aimed to study the impact of frequently attending DCR on injecting in public, infectious risk (disposal of used syringes in safe places, sharing needles and/or injecting equipment), accessing drug dependence services and non-fatal overdoses. METHODS: In 2014-2015, we performed the cross-sectional study REDAN in Catalonia's network of harm reduction centres (needle exchange programs, outreach programs, and DCR). A sample of current PWID were recruited. Self-reported data about risky and other behaviours and about access to care were collected through anonymous face-to-face structured interviews. Oral fluid samples were also collected to test for HIV and HCV antibodies. Multiple logistic regressions were used to assess the impact of frequently attending DCR on the different outcomes. RESULTS: Among the 730 PWID recruited, 510 reported attending DCR in the previous 6 months, of whom 21·2% were 'frequent' attenders. After multiple adjustment, frequent attenders had a 61% lower risk of injecting in public (AOR [95%CI]:0·39[0·18-0·85]) and sharing needles or other injecting equipment (0·39[0·18-0·85]) than 'medium' and 'low' attenders. They were six times more likely to place used syringes in a safe place (6·08[3·62-10·23]) and were twice as likely to access drug dependence services (2·56[1·44-4·55]). No significant effect was found for non-fatal overdoses, perhaps because of survival bias. CONCLUSION: The multiple benefits found strongly advocate for the maintenance of current DCR and the promotion of new DCR, in conjunction with other harm reduction strategies, in European countries where they are not yet available.

Is systematic training in opioid overdose prevention effective?

The objectives were to analyze the knowledge about overdose prevention, the use of naloxone, and the number of fatal overdoses after the implementation of Systematic Training in Overdose Prevention (STOOP) program. We conducted a quasi-experimental study, and held face-to-face interviews before (n = 725) and after (n = 722) implementation of systematic training in two different samples of people who injected opioids attending harm reduction centers. We asked participants to list the main causes of overdose and the main actions that should be taken when witnessing an overdose. We created two dependent variables, the number of (a) correct and (b) incorrect answers. The main independent variable was Study Group: Intervention Group (IG), Comparison Group (CG), Pre-Intervention Group With Sporadic Training in Overdose Prevention (PREIGS), or Pre-Intervention Group Without Training in Overdose Prevention (PREIGW). The relationship between the dependent and independent variables was assessed using a multivariate Poisson regression analysis. Finally, we conducted an interrupted time series analysis of monthly fatal overdoses before and after the implementation of systematic program during the period 2006-2015. Knowledge of overdose prevention increased after implementing systematic training program. Compared to the PREIGW, the IG gave more correct answers (IRR = 1.40;95%CI:1.33-1.47), and fewer incorrect answers (IRR = 0.33;95%CI:0.25-0.44). Forty percent of people who injected opioids who received a naloxone kit had used the kit in response to an overdose they witnessed. These courses increase knowledge of overdose prevention in people who use opioids, give them the necessary skills to use naloxone, and slightly diminish the number of fatal opioid overdoses in the city of Barcelona.

Undiagnosed HIV and Hepatitis C infection in people who inject drugs: From new evidence to better practice.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to estimate the proportion of undiagnosed HIV or Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and to assess the risk factors associated with an undiagnosed infection. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed among people who inject drugs (PWID) in harm reduction centres in Catalonia, Spain 2008-2012 (n=2243). Self-report of HIV and HCV was compared to oral fluid tests to calculate the proportion of undiagnosed infection. Associations of undiagnosed HIV and HCV with age, origin, risk and protective factors of infection and services use were calculated using a Poisson regression model with robust variance. RESULTS: The sensitivity of HIV self-report was 78.5% (75.2%-81.5%) and of HCV was 81.2% (79.1%-83.2%), being lower in younger and foreign-born PWID. Specificity for HCV was 55.9% (51.6%-60.1%). PWID who engaged in infection risk behaviors had lower risk of being undiagnosed. Being foreign-born and younger increased the risk of undiagnosed infection. PWID who had not accessed medical care in the last 6months had 1.46 (1.10-1.93) times more risk of undiagnosed HIV and 1.37 (1.11-1.70) times more risk of undiagnosed HCV. CONCLUSION: Outreach programmes are essential to provide PWID, specially foreign-born and younger PIWD, access to HIV and HCV test.

Implementation of rapid HIV and HCV testing within harm reduction programmes for people who inject drugs: a pilot study.

UNLABELLED: Including HCV and HIV rapid tests in harm reduction programmes (HRP) for people who inject drugs (PWID) can increase detection of these infections in high-risk populations who do not seek conventional health care. AIMS: To assess acceptability and feasibility of rapid HIV and HCV tests in HRP; to identify HIV and HCV prevalence rates in HRP; to identify the percentage of PWID with a reactive test that attend hospital for confirmation and follow-up. Rapid oral tests for HCV and HIV were offered to users of 13 HRP from both mobile units and facility-based centres. A total of 172 HCV and 198 HIV tests were performed, with a refusal rate of 1.7% and 10.4%, respectively. Injectors made up 64.9% of all drug users and 35.1% did not inject drugs. Overall, 20.3% of HCV tests and 2.5% of HIV test were reactive. Only 24 of the 35 reactive HCV could be confirmed (68.6%) and one was false-negative. Of the five HIV reactive cases, only two could be confirmed (40%) with 1 false-positive case. Acceptability of rapid HIV and HCV tests among HRP users was high. The usefulness of oral rapid tests in HRP has been demonstrated, especially in mobile HRP.

High Prevalence and Incidence of HIV and HCV Among New Injecting Drug Users With a Large Proportion of Migrants--Is Prevention Failing?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess differences in the prevalence of HIV and HCV infection and associated risk factors between new (injecting for ≤5 years) and long-term injectors and to estimate HIV/HCV incidence among new injectors. METHODS: Cross-sectional study among people who inject drugs (PWID) who attended harm reduction centers in Catalonia in 2010-11. Anonymous questionnaires and oral fluid samples were collected. Poisson regression models were applied to determine the association between HIV/HCV infection and risk factors. RESULTS: Of the 761 participants, 21.4% were new injectors. New injectors were younger than long-term injectors (mean age = 31.6 vs. 37.8) and were more likely to be immigrants (59.0% vs. 33.4%). HIV and HCV prevalence was 20.6% and 59.4% among new injectors, and estimated HIV and HCV incidence 8.7 and 25.1 /100 person-years, respectively. Among new injectors, HIV infection was associated with homelessness (PR = 3.10) and reporting a previous sexually transmitted infection (PR = 1.79). Reporting front/backloading (PR = 1.33) and daily injection (PR = 1.35) were risk-factors for HCV infection. For long-term injectors, HIV risk factors were: having shared syringes (PR = 1.85), having injected cocaine (PR = 1.38), reporting front/backloading (PR = 1.30) and ever having been in prison (PR = 2.03). CONCLUSION: A large proportion of PWID in Catalonia are new injectors, a subgroup with a high level of both sexual and parenteral exposure and a high incidence rate of HIV/ HCV infections. It is important to improve early diagnosis of these infections among this group, in particular among migrants. To identify and address risk factors for homelessness PWID should be a priority.

Cross sectional study of factors associated to self-reported blood-borne infections among drug users.

BACKGROUND: The study's aim was to estimate the self-reported prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and to describe their associated risk factors in a population of users of illicit drugs recruited in Catalonia- Spain, during 2012. METHODS: Cross-sectional study. People with illicit drugs use were selected in three different types of healthcare centres. The questionnaire was a piloted, structured ad hoc instrument. An analysis was made to identify factors associated to self-reported HCV, HIV and co-infection. Correlates of reported infections were determined using univariate and multivariate Poisson regression (with robust variance). RESULTS: Among 512 participants, 39.65% self-reported positive serostatus for HCV and 14.84% for HIV, co-infection was reported by 13.48%. Among the 224 injecting drug users (IDUs), 187 (83.48%), 68 (30.36%) and 66 (29.46%) reported being positive for HCV, HIV and co-infection, respectively. A higher proportion of HIV-infected cases was observed among women, (18.33% vs. 13.78% in men). Prevalence of HCV, HIV and co-infection were higher among participants with early onset of drug consumption, long periods of drug injection or who were unemployed. A positive serostatus was self-reported by 21(7.34%) participants who did not report any injection; among them 16 and eight, reported being positive for HCV and HIV, respectively; three reported co-infection. Only two people declared exchanging sex for money. For those that reported a negative test, the median time since the last HIV test was 11.41 months (inter-quartile range (IQR) 4-12) and for the HCV test was 4.5 months (IQR 2-7). CONCLUSIONS: Among drug users in Catalonia, HIV, HCV and co-infection prevalence are still a big issue especially among IDUs. Women and drug users who have never injected drugs are groups with a significant risk of infection; this might be related to their high-risk behaviours and to being unaware of their serological status.

Coverage of overdose prevention programs for opiate users and injectors: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The use of opiates, particularly heroin, remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Half of the deaths among heroin consumers are attributed to overdose. In response to this problem, overdose prevention programs (OPPs) were designed. The objective of our study was to assess coverage of OPPs among the target population in a specific Spanish region (Catalonia) and to identify characteristics related to attendance. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey recruited individuals from outpatient treatment centers (OTCs), therapeutic communities (ThCs), and harm reduction facilities (HRFs) in Catalonia. From 513 participants, 306 opiate users and/or injectors were selected for this study. Coverage was calculated as the proportion of subjects who declared having participated in an OPP. A Poisson regression with robust variance was used to assess factors (socio-demographic aspects and psychoactive substance use patterns) associated to OPP participation, taking into account recruitment strategy. RESULTS: Average age of the 306 subjects was 39.7 years (s.d.: 7.7); 79% were male; 79.2% lived in urban areas and 56.3% were unemployed or had never worked. Overall OPP coverage was 43.5% (95% CI: 37%-49%). Training was received mostly in HRF (60%), followed by OTC (24.4%), prison (19%), and ThC (16%). OPP sessions were attended by 41% of Spanish-born study participants and by 63.3% of foreigners; 92.2% of the participants lived in urban areas. The Poisson regression analysis adjusted by age, sex, and type of recruitment center showed that OPP participation rates were higher for individuals with foreign nationality (PR = 1.3; 95% CI: 1.04-1.72), for those living in municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants (PR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.37-2.81) or the Barcelona conurbation (PR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.68-3.77), and for those having ever been in prison (PR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.41-1.81) and had first consumption when they were less than 12 years old (PR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.06-1.45). CONCLUSION: Coverage as a whole can be considered high. However, in Catalonia, new strategies ought to be developed in order to attract opiate users and injectors not currently participating, by expanding OPP offer to services and regions where coverage is poor.

Overdose prevention in injecting opioid users: The role of substance abuse treatment and training programs / La prevención de sobredosis en usuarios de opioides por vía parenteral: el papel del tratamiento y de los talleres de prevención

Objectives: Opioid overdose is still the first cause of preventable death among young men in Barcelona. Sound knowledge of opioid overdose prevention is important to avoid complications and deaths. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with limited knowledge of overdose prevention and to assess the possible effect of treatment and overdose prevention training programs on this variable. Methods From October 2008 to March 2009, current injecting opioid users attending harm reduction centers in Catalonia (Spain) were interviewed. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios of limited knowledge about overdose prevention were calculated by adjusting Poisson regression models with a robust variance. Results In this sample, 28.7% of clients had limited knowledge of overdose prevention. Factors associated with limited knowledge were country of origin, never having received treatment for drug dependency, having a low educational level, and never having experienced an overdose. In contrast, treatment at the time of the interview was not associated with a lower prevalence of limited knowledge about overdose prevention. Conclusions These findings suggest that preventive programs would benefit from accounting for linguistic and educational limitations and from participation in every treatment episode. Comprehensiveness and broad coverage of such programs could help to maximize their impact (AU)

Objetivos: La sobredosis por opioides sigue siendo la primera causa de muerte prevenible entre hombres jóvenes en Barcelona. El conocimiento profundo acerca de la prevención de sobredosis es importante a fin de evitar complicaciones y muertes. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron la identificación de aquellos factores asociados a un conocimiento limitado acerca de la prevención de sobredosis, y la evaluación del posible efecto sobre dicha variable del tratamiento y de la asistencia a talleres de prevención de sobredosis. Métodos Estudio transversal, mediante encuesta a usuarios de opioides por vía parenteral que acudieron a centros de reducción de daños de Cataluña entre octubre de 2008 y marzo de 2009. Se obtuvieron ratios de prevalencia crudas y ajustadas de Conocimiento limitado sobre prevención de sobredosis mediante la realización de modelos de regresión de Poisson con varianza robusta. Resultados El 28,7% de los usuarios entrevistados presentaba Conocimiento limitado sobre prevención de sobredosis. Los factores asociados a dicho Conocimiento limitado fueron el país de origen, no haber recibido tratamiento por el consumo de drogas, tener un menor nivel educativo, y nunca haber sufrido una sobredosis. El hecho de estar en tratamiento en el momento de la entrevista no se asoció a una menor prevalencia de conocimiento limitado sobre prevención de sobredosis. Conclusiones Estos hallazgos sugieren que los programas de prevención de sobredosis se verían beneficiados por tener en cuenta posibles limitaciones lingüísticas y educacionales, así como por estar integrados en todos los episodios de tratamiento. La exhaustividad y una cobertura elevada pueden ayudar a maximizar el impacto de dichos programas (AU)

Differences in illegal drug consumption between native and immigrants in a large sample of injected drug users in Catalonia (Spain).

The aims of this study were to describe illegal drug abuse patterns in relation to the migration process and use of drug treatment centers among immigrant injected drug users (IDUs) involved in harm reduction programs, and to compare the characteristics of immigrant and native IDUs. Cross-sectional study of 748 IDUs aged ≥18 years attending harm reduction centers between 2008 and 2009. We explored differences in socio-economic status, illegal drug consumption, health status and use of treatment centers in native versus immigrant IDUs. We also described whether immigrant IDUs started using injected drugs before or after entering the host country. Immigrant IDUs tend to live alone more frequently, start injection at later ages, use heroin and inject it more frequently and use drug treatment centers less frequently than native IDUs. Seventy-six percent of immigrants began using illegal drugs before arriving at the host country. Those who started in other countries were residing in the host country for 5 years or less (63.9%). Overall, immigrant IDUs attended drug treatment centers (36.9%) less frequently than native IDUs (71.8%). In conclusion, migration could be a risk factor for illegal drug abuse initiation or increase in consumption, often with the adoption of local consumption patterns and aggravated due to a lower access to drug treatment centers.

Overdose prevention in injecting opioid users: the role of substance abuse treatment and training programs.

OBJECTIVES: Opioid overdose is still the first cause of preventable death among young men in Barcelona. Sound knowledge of opioid overdose prevention is important to avoid complications and deaths. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with limited knowledge of overdose prevention and to assess the possible effect of treatment and overdose prevention training programs on this variable. METHODS: From October 2008 to March 2009, current injecting opioid users attending harm reduction centers in Catalonia (Spain) were interviewed. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios of limited knowledge about overdose prevention were calculated by adjusting Poisson regression models with a robust variance. RESULTS: In this sample, 28.7% of clients had limited knowledge of overdose prevention. Factors associated with limited knowledge were country of origin, never having received treatment for drug dependency, having a low educational level, and never having experienced an overdose. In contrast, treatment at the time of the interview was not associated with a lower prevalence of limited knowledge about overdose prevention. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that preventive programs would benefit from accounting for linguistic and educational limitations and from participation in every treatment episode. Comprehensiveness and broad coverage of such programs could help to maximize their impact.