IV Opioid Addiction Hikes Incidence of Related Diseases

(Winter 2017) Side-effects of intravenous opioid abuse are filling hospitals with patients presenting a variety of conditions. Among these are Hepatitis C, MRSA and endocarditis and all can be expensive to treat.

Hepatitis C is the most widely-occurring communicable disease that afflicts individuals with an opioid addiction. The number of reported cases of Hepatitis C increased almost three-fold between 2010 and 2015.

MRSA, an infection that is difficult to treat, is another ailment often found among people with an opioid use disorder. The price tag for fighting MRSA is approximately $60,000 per patient. The last condition, endocarditis, is an inflammation of the heart’s inner lining caused by opioid addiction. Between 2002 and 2012 hospital stays for endocarditis increased by nearly 50%, with a ballpark cost of $50,000 for each case presented.

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