Table 1 Definitions of skin problems
From: Prevalence of skin problems and leg ulceration in a sample of young injecting drug users
Skin problem | Definition |
|---|---|
Leg ulcer | A break in the skin between the knee and the ankle that remains unhealed for 4 weeks or more (SIGN, 1998) |
Lumps | Hard swellings without broken skin, not red or hot or particularly painful |
Track marks | Scratch marks, raised red veins, raised hardened veins |
Abscesses | Raised red hot painful lumps, with or without obvious pus/broken skin—possibly required lancing/surgery or have spontaneously burst |
Acid burns | Painful, blistered or broken skin directly attributed to use of acid |
Broken skin (heals within 4 weeks) | Injecting injury that has caused a break in the skin, wounds or scabs that have healed in less than 4 weeks |
Chronic wounds | Any break in the skin (not a leg ulcer) that has been present 4 weeks or more |
Rashes | Multiple red or pink spots, raised or flat, that last longer than the short period following injection |