No abstract available.
Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active* ; Drug Users* ; Humans

Background: This study was undertaken in response to the lack of contextualized and grounded description of surrendered drug offenders (e.g voluntary surrrenderers) provided to the media and to the public by the law enforcement agencies on the Oplan TokHang campaign of the Duterte administration.

Objective: This paper sought to provide a profile of “voluntary surrenderers†of Oplan TokHang in 4 selected barangays in Marikina City. Specifically, it aimed to describe their socio-demographic characteristics, drug use behaviors, underlying reasons for initial and continued drug use, severity of use, and the nature and reasons behind their participation to the Oplan TokHang campaign, respectively.

Methodology: A total of 56 participants were surveyed and descriptive statistics was used in the presentation and analysis of data. These were triangulated by direct observation, local studies and international studies, data from national agencies and news reports.

Results: Most of the voluntary surrenderers in the study were drug users rather than user-pushers and were predominantly single, male, high school educated and were observed to be in their most productive years yet unemployed. They abused shabu and marijuana and started to take drug in their mid-adolescent years. Although users for 1 to 2 years, more than majority of them were mild users, taking drugs on a weekly basis that were sourced from their friends and from drug pushers. Exposed to drug- using friends and relatives, most were initiated to drugs because of peer influence, personal and family problems. They continued to use drugs because
they were not able to resolve these personal and social relations issues. Being jobless, most sustained their drugtaking behavior by committing petty crimes such as selling household goods, drug-pushing and theft. Afraid to be killed and wanting to be rehabilitated, they participated in the TokHang campaign for safety and for self-change.

Conclusion: Voluntary surrenderers in the study were not as violent and dangerous as generally reported by media and by law enforcers. As mild users, they were not those types that were considered as “beyond redemption†but were rather capable of self-change. These primary data were reflective of national reports that 90 percent of surrenderers were mild users. Policy-wise, the study suggests that government should, through the Oplan TokHang campaign, shift more focus in providing community-based treatment and rehabilitation program that is responsive, sustainable, protective, and rights-respecting of voluntary surrenderers.

Bacillus species are aerobic, gram-positive, spore forming rods, and they are usually found in the surrounding environment. If they are isolated in the clinical specimen, they are generally considered as contaminants rather than a true pathogen. Infection with Bacillus licheniformis is usually associated with the immunocompromised state, trauma, an indwelling intravenous catheter or an intravenous drug abuser. This infection is easily controlled by removal of the catheter and surgical debridement of the local infected tissue as well as an appropriate antimicrobial therapy. We reported here on a case of Bacillus licheniformis bacteremia associated with a bronchoscopic procedure in an immune competent patient.
Bacillus* ; Bacteremia* ; Bronchoscopy* ; Catheters ; Debridement ; Drug Users ; Humans ; Spores

Background: Lai Chau is one of northwestern provinces of Vietnam, where there was a drug vice and high prevalence of drug users. It is necessary to evaluate the situation of HIV infection in this group. Objectives: A study on HIV prevalence and factors relating to the behaviors of HIV Infection among Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) in various districts of Lai Chau province. Subjects and method: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was carried out on 330 IDUs in Lai Chau town and 3 districts of Lai Chau province from January to December 2007. Results: 40.30% of the IDUs tested positive for HIV, nearly 2 times higher than the prevalence in 2006 (23.2%). 87.27% of the IDUs never re-used their syringes and needles. However, 12.4% still sometimes re-used their syringes and needles. Of 43 IDUs (12.73%) who re-used their syringes and needles, only 27.91% always cleaned their syringes and needles, 23.26% cleaned their syringes and needles most of the time after using them and up to 27.91% only sometimes cleaned their syringes and needles. Most IDUs use heroin (97.88%). Percentage of IDUs sharing syringes and needles accounts for 12.42%. 10% of the IDUs had sexual intercourses with commercial sex workers within the last month. There is a relationship between the time of using drugs and the HIV prevalence rate. There is a double risk of HIV infection for the IDUs injecting drugs for 5 years and upwards compared to those injecting drugs less than 5 years. (p <0.05, OR = 2). Conclusion: It is required to develop communications in order to change the behaviors of HIV infection among IDUs in Lai Chau province.
HIV prevalence ; behaviors ; HIV infection ; injecting drug users ; Lai Chau

The prevalence of hepatitis C among drug users in China is high, and thus it is one of the populations that needs attention to achieve hepatitis C elimination. However, due to the complexities of this population's situation, hepatitis C elimination still faces many challenges, such as difficult screening, low cure rate, poor compliance, and high reinfection rates. Therefore, the existing diagnostic and therapeutic system cannot meet the needs of this population. China has pledged to establish a unified system for drug users that will integrate drug treatment programs, education, medical care, and rehabilitation, creating favorable conditions for integrating hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment and improving the accessibility of drug users. Starting with the current situation and challenges of eliminating hepatitis C among drug users in China, in combination with cases from other countries, this paper discusses the strategy for eliminating hepatitis C and introduces what Hainan Province did to eliminate hepatitis C among drug users.
Humans ; Drug Users ; Hepatitis C/drug therapy* ; Hepacivirus ; China/epidemiology* ; Mass Screening ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use*

Herpes zoster is acute viral infection characterized by the appearance of vesicles that occur on the skin and mucous membrane along the pathway of an involved sensory nerve. The incidence is increased in those who have history of trauma, malignant tumor, radiation therapy and the immuno-suppressive drug users. Although herpes zoster is usually as benign viral infection, complications may occur especially when cranial nerves are involved. So careful treatment is necessary when cranial nerves are involved. We have treated two cases. One is involved trigeminal nerve mandibular branch, another maxillary branch. We have used conservative therapy, pain control, acyclovir on this area and obtained good result. After 17 and 8 months respectively, no complications occur in our two cases. So we present two cases with review of literature.
Acyclovir ; Cranial Nerves ; Drug Users ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mucous Membrane ; Skin ; Trigeminal Nerve

Aneurysms of the pulmonary artery are rare, with mycotic aneurysms occurring most frequently. This latter type may also occur in association with a lung abscess or septicemia, particularly in drug addicts. As far as we are aware, the radiologic findings of mycotic aneurysm of the pulmonary artery have not been reported in Korea. We present the simple chest radiographs, as well as the CT and angiographic findings ,of a case of aneurysm of the pulmonary artery which was successfully embolized using a coil.
Aneurysm* ; Aneurysm, Infected ; Drug Users ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung Abscess ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Sepsis

Isolated cerebral mucoromycosis, without rhino-orbital focus, is an extremely rare but life-threatening infection of central nervous system that most commonly found in intravenous drug abuser. We present a case of isolated cerebral mucormycosis diagnosed by open biopsy and treated with amphotericin B. The patient has returned to independent living.
Amphotericin B ; Biopsy ; Central Nervous System ; Drug Users ; Humans ; Independent Living ; Mucormycosis*

OBJECTIVES: Craving is the subjectively experienced motivational states inducing ongoing drug use in addicts. It also proceeds or precipitates relapse episode in drug addicts. Alcohol craving may be triggered by exposure to an object, environment, or emotion that a person has come to associate with alcohol consumption. Such stimuli are called alcohol-related cues. Among alcohol-related cues, alcohol-related visual stimuli are simple and reliable methods in inducing alcohol craving. The object of this study is to develop alcohol-related visual stimuli which induce alcohol craving reliably and to investigate the characteristics of alcohol-related visual stimuli in alcoholics. METHODS: First, the authors developed 27 alcohol and drinking color photos as candidate stimuli. Then, 3 photos which induce alcohol craving most were chosen as alcohol-related visual stimuli respectively by alcoholics, alcoholism high risk group and normal control group. The authors compared characteristics, situation and complexity of selected alcohol-related visual stimuli among three groups. RESULTS: 1) 'A glass of Soju', 'Drinking together' and 'A glass of beer, a bottle of beer and a sidedish' were chosen as alcohol-related visual stimuli which induce most craving in alcoholics, alcoholism high risk group and normal control group respectively. 2) Alcohol photo(stationary object) induced craving most in alcoholics in contrast with drinking photo(situation) in social drinkers. Alcoholics clung to alcohol per se, not to atmosphere or situation of drinking, and alcoholism high risk group felt craving by the expectation of drinking situation. Normal control group showed no consistent finding in choosing alcohol-related visual stimuli. CONCLUSION: With these results, the author suggests classical conditioning as psychopathological model of alcohol craving with alcoholics. In contrast with alcoholics, alcohol craving of alcoholism high risk group may be related to alcohol specific memory or positive expectancies about alcohol use. These finding may support different neurobiological mechanisms of alcohol craving between alcoholics and social drinkers.
Alcohol Drinking ; Alcoholics ; Alcoholism ; Atmosphere ; Beer ; Conditioning, Classical ; Cues ; Drinking ; Drug Users ; Glass ; Humans ; Memory ; Recurrence

Risk factors for infective endocarditis include injection drug abusers and patients with structural heart defects undergoing dental procedures. Infective endocarditis is clinically important because it is hard to diagnose it in its early stage owing to its various clinical manifestations, and because its morbidity and mortality increase when neurologic complications occur. This is a case of infective endocarditis in the course of treatment of which complicating cerebral hemorrhage and infarction progressed rapidly and prompted death.
Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Drug Users ; Endocarditis* ; Heart ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Infarction ; Mortality ; Risk Factors