An introductoryguide for assessingand understandingcommon woundswith people whoinject drugs

This guide was created for harm reduction medical staff and volunteers as a

resource about the types of wounds common with injection drug use and also

to increase knowledge about treatment modalities for this population. Skin and

soft-tissue infections are the most common cause of hospitalization among people

who inject drugs.1 One study reported that 32% of active injection drug users

had a current soft-tissue infection, and this number is most likely higher in areas

where tar heroin is prevalent.2 Effectively treating skin and soft-tissue infections

is an imperative component of harm reduction, as these infections can lead to

catastrophic conditions such as sepsis and endocarditis and can also