PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH ILLICIT DRUG-USE - AN UPDATE

Study objective: In earlier years, nonopportunistic infectious pulmona ry complications of illicit drug use were most common. We designed thi s study to update the pulmonary complications associated with illicit drug use in the 1990s. Design: Concurrent and retrospective chart revi ew. Setting: Inner-city municipal hospital. Patients: All illicit drug users with pulmonary complications seen by the pulmonary consult serv ice were enrolled in the study. There were 105 hospital admissions of 97 patients in a 14-month study period. Results: Sixty percent of the patients had HIV infection. The most common pulmonary complications we re Pneusmocystis carinii pneumonia (30%) followed by community-acquire d pneumonia (12%) and tuberculosis (9%). Conclusions: The spectrum of pulmonary disease in illicit drug users has changed since 1988. Opport unistic HIV-related disease is much more common. Community-acquired pn eumonia and tuberculosis remain relatively frequent complications. Sep tic pulmonary embolism is now rare.