The Effectiveness of Low Dead Space Syringes for Reducing the Risk of Hepatitis C Virus Acquisition Among People Who Inject Drugs: Findings From a National Survey in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland

Clin Infect Dis. 2022 Sep 29;75(6):1073-1077. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac140.

Abstract

Syringes with attached needles (termed fixed low dead space syringes [LDSS]) retain less blood following injection than syringes with detachable needles, but evidence on them reducing blood-borne virus transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID) is lacking. Utilizing the UK Unlinked Anonymous Monitoring cross-sectional bio-behavioral surveys among PWID for 2016/18/19 (n = 1429), we showed that always using fixed LDSS was associated with 76% lower likelihood (adjusted odds ratio = 0.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: .08-.67) of recent hepatitis C virus infection (RNA-positive and antibody-negative) among antibody-negative PWID compared to using any syringes with detachable needles.

Keywords: HCV; IDU; high dead space syringes; injecting drugs; low dead space syringes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Drug Users*
  • England / epidemiology
  • HIV Infections* / complications
  • Hepacivirus
  • Hepatitis C* / complications
  • Hepatitis C* / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis C* / prevention & control
  • Humans
  • Northern Ireland / epidemiology
  • RNA
  • Substance Abuse, Intravenous* / complications
  • Syringes
  • Wales / epidemiology

Substances

  • RNA