Clinico-epidemiological Aspects of Cutaneous Lesions in Injecting Drug Users Visiting an Oral Substitution Therapy Centre in Northern India: A Cross-Sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Drug abuse has been taking a great toll on the health and well-being of the community for the past few decades. Substance abuse can lead to several cutaneous manifestations as direct injuries by the offending drug or the practices of drug usage cause secondary damage to the skin. The early recognition of these signs is of utmost importance to prevent long-term complications. OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical-epidemiological profile of the skin diseases in Injecting Drug Users (IDU) attending an Oral Substitution Therapy (OST) Center in Northern India and to assess the psychological impact of skin conditions in IDUs attending OSTs. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study involved 100 IDUs enrolled from the OST center who were subjected to brief history taking and clinical and dermoscopic evaluation of skin lesions. Dermatological quality of life index (DLQI), Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS), and WHO-quality of life (QoL) questionnaire were used to evaluate the impact of skin lesions on psycho-social health and QoL of IDUs. RESULTS: Cutaneous lesions ranged from track marks to severe ulcerations and scarring. Mucosal lesions also took a toll on several patients. The patients had varying degrees of anxiety, depression, and mental stress. CONCLUSIONS: Injecting Drug Abusers are prone to acquire skin diseases due to injury caused by drugs as well as by drug practices adopted and the degree of neglect may worsen these conditions. These cutaneous lesions hamper QoL and cause psychosocial disturbances.