Intravenous drug users and broken needles—a hidden risk?

Abstract

IDUs may well experience, directly or indirectly, incidents involving broken needles during the course of their injecting careers. Given the potential for embolization and the risk of subsequent complications when this occurs, we recommend that harm minimization guidance should include advice about this potential hazard and the need for early action to retrieve broken needles.

Haemoptysis in an intravenous drug user: injection needle impacted in the left main bronchus

“…In our case the patient has no recollection of any incident about aspiration of any FB, assuming the patient must have been heavily intoxicated at the time of incident. This case is unusual and interesting, there are reports available in literature about central embolisation of broken needles in intravenous drug users,5 6 but to our knowledge, aspiration of an intact injection needle is rarely documented.…”

Pins and needles in the groin: an incidental finding of retained needle fragments in an intravenous drug user

“…Broken and retained needle fragments are a hidden and under-recognised problem and present potential risk to both intravenous drug users and clinicians 1. This case report describes a patient who was found to have four needle fragments retained within her groin and includes imaging from her hospital admission and her account of how this happened.…”

Point-of-Care Ultrasound to Locate Retained Intravenous Drug Needle in the Femoral Artery

“…Needle loss is not a rare occurrence for IV drug abusers 1,2. When dislodgement occurs in the vasculature, grave complications can ensue, as the needle has the potential to embolize to the right heart or lungs.…”