• Arantza Sanvisens, Inmaculada Rivas, Eva Faure, Trinidad Muñoz, Manuela Rubio, Daniel Fuster, Jordi Tor, and Robert Muga.
• Servei de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Barcelona, España.
• Med Clin (Barc). 2014 Jan 21; 142 (2): 53-8.

Background And ObjetiveMethadone is largely used as the primary opioid substitution therapy for the treatment of heroin addiction; the objective of the study was to describe the clinical characteristics of heroin abusers admitted into a methadone maintenance program (MMP) in metropolitan Barcelona.MethodCross-sectional study in patients enrolled in MMP since its introduction in 1992 through December 2010. Socio-demographic data, drug use characteristics, prevalence of blood-borne infections (human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], and hepatitis B [HBV] and C [HCV]) and psychiatric co-morbidity were assessed at entry.ResultsOne thousand and six hundred seventy eight patients (82.8% male). A total of 608 (36.2%) patients were admitted during 1992-1996, 566 (33.7%) between 1997-2001, 305 (18.2%) between 2002-2006 and 199 (11.9%) in the last period. Age at admission to methadone increased significantly (28 years in period 1992-1996 vs. 37 years in the last period [P<.005]). The percentage of patients with a history of intravenous drug use decreased significantly (89.5% in first period vs. 56.4% in period 2007-2010 [P<.05]). Prevalence of HIV, HCV and HBV (HBcAb+) was 53.7, 73.6 and 61.3%, respectively. The prevalence of HIV decreased over time from 66.2% in first period to 43.5% in 2007-2010 (P<.05); the prevalence of HCV decreased significantly from 82.8% in 1992-1996 to 69.8% in last period (P<.05). Twenty five percent of patients had psychiatric co-morbidity at admission and the prevalence of psychiatric co-morbidity increased over time (21% in 1992-1996 and 32% in 2007-2010; P<.05).ConclusionAge at first opioid substitution therapy is increasing over time, as well as the proportion of patients with psychiatric co-morbidity. There were significant reductions in blood-borne infections.Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

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