Infections and other health problems among coca paste users at a drug treatment center in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: cocaine paste is a smokable form of cocaine increasingly used among young people. OBJECTIVE: to describe patterns of drugs, seroprevalences of HIV, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), syphilis and other health problems among coca paste users assisted at a drug treatment center in Argentina. METHOD: volunteers, eighteen-year-old and older assisted at the National Center for Social Re-education (CENARESO) during 2006-2007, who had consumed coca paste over the past 6 months previous to the interview and had never injected drugs, were selected. A structured questionnaire was used and blood was drawn to test HIV, HBV, HCV and syphilis. A sub-sample of thorax X-rays was analyzed. RESULTS: more than half of the 146 volunteers had smoked coca paste several times a week. The use of other drugs was frequently associated: sniffed cocaine 64%, cannabis 80,8%, and tranquilizers 44,5. Oral lesions and lost of weight were referred as health problems stemming from coca paste use. Out of the 146 volunteers, 4.3% resulted HIV-positive. Prevalences of infection for syphilis, HBV, and HCV were 2,7%, 5,5% and 5,5%, respectively. 16% was co-infected with one or more infectious agents. DISCUSSION: the prevalence of infections detected, along with other clinical problems found among this coca paste users, show the need for further research, in order to design proper preventive and therapeutic intervention.