Baseline characteristics of people experiencing homelessness with a recent drug overdose in the PHOENIx pilot randomised controlled trial

Lowrie, Richard; McPherson, Andrew; Mair, Frances S.; Stock, Kate; Jones, Caitlin; Maguire, Donogh; Paudyal, Vibhu; Duncan, Clare; Blair, Becky; Lombard, Cian; Ross, Steven; Hughes, Fiona; Moir, Jane; Scott, Ailsa; Reilly, Frank; Sills, Laura; Hislop, Jennifer; Farmer, Natalia; Lucey, Sharon; Wishart, Stephen; Provan, George; Robertson, Roy; Williamson, Andrea

doi:10.1186/s12954-023-00771-4

Harm Reduction Journal

Table 3 Baseline overdose and problem drug use (N% or mean (SD)/median (IQR)

From: Baseline characteristics of people experiencing homelessness with a recent drug overdose in the PHOENIx pilot randomised controlled trial

Characteristic	PHOENIx participants n = 128
Number of overdoses in past 6 months^a	3.2 (3.2)
1–2	70 (55.6%)
3–5	40 (31.7%)
6–10	14 (11.1%)
> 11	2 (1.6%)
Number of illicit drugs used concurrently^b	3 (2–4)
Problem drugs used concurrently
One	21 (16.4%)
Two	34 (26.6%)
Three	41 (32.0%)
Four	24 (18.8%)
Five	6 (4.7%)
Six	2 (1.6%)
Main cause of overdose^b1
Unable to recall	46 (36.0%)
‘Street Valium’	46 (56.8%)
‘Street Valium’ + other drugs	19 (23.4%)
Cocaine	5 (6.2%)
Heroin	6 (7.4%)
Suboxone	3 (3.7%)
Alcohol	2 (2.5%)
Main route of drug administration^b
Injection	65 (50.8%)
Injection Sites
Groin	23 (35.4%)
Groin and leg	3 (4.6%)
Groin sinuses	6 (9.2%)
Arms and groin	1 (1.5%)
Arms	14 (21.5%)
Legs	8 (12%)
Hands	2 (3.1%)
All over	2 (3.1%)
Feet/neck	1 (1.5%)
Thigh	1 (1.5%)
Not Sure	1 (1.5%)
Number of injection sites^c
One to four	44 (34.4%)
Five to ten	15 (11.8%)
Too many to count	6 (4.7%)
Possesses naloxone^d	80 (68.4%)
Knows how to use naloxone^d	103 (88.0%)
Heroin
Current^b	77 (60.1%)
Frequency^e
Once or more daily/most days	36 (49.3%)
Every few days/weekly	9 (12.3%)
Every 2 weeks/monthly	10 (13.7%)
Rarely	18 (24.7%)
Dose^f
< 0.4 g (≤ £10)	16 (35.6%)
> 0.4 g but ≤ 2 g (£11–£50)	26 (57.8%)
> 2 g but up to 4 g (£51–£100)	3 (6.7%)
Route^g
Intravenous	36 (55.4%)
Snort	3 (4.6%)
Smoke	26 (40.0%)
Age started (years)	20.0 (16.3–26.0)
Cocaine
Current	76 (59.4%)
Frequency^h
Once or more daily/most days	21 (28%)
Every few days/weekly	14 (18.7%)
Every 2 weeks/monthly	18 (24%)
Rarely	22 (33.0%)
Doseⁱ
< one bag (0.4 g; 2 lines); (≤ £10)	8 (18.6%)
> 1 bag—2 bags (£10—£20)	12 (27.9%)
> 2 bags—1 g (£21—£25)	4 (9.3%)
> 1 g (2.5 bags; > £25)	19 (44.2%)
Route^j
Intravenous	50 (73.5%)
Snort	10 (14.7%)
Smoke	8 (11.8%)
Age started (years)	30.0 (18.5–37.0)
Street Valium
Current	112 (87.5%)
Frequency^j
Once or more daily/most days	71 (68.3%)
Every few days/weekly	15 (14.4%)
Every 2 weeks/monthly	9 (8.7%)
Rarely	9 (8.7%)
Dose^k
1–10 tablets	24 (26.5%)
11–25 tablets	35 (38.4%)
26–50 tablets	19 (20.9%)
51–100 tablets	10 (11.0%)
> 100 tablets	3 (3.3%)
Route^j
Oral	105 (100%)
Age started (years)^l	31.5 (20.0–43.3)
Spice
Current	8 (6.2%)
Only when in prison	8 (6.2%)
Street gabapentinoids
Current	22 (17.2%)
Cannabis
Current	53 (41.4%)
Frequencyⁿ
Once or more daily/most days	23 (50.0%)
Every few days/weekly	7 (15.2%)
Every 2 weeks/monthly	2 (4.3%)
Rarely	16 (34.8%)
Age started (years)	15 (14–20)
Tobacco
Current	113 (88.3%)
Cigarettes/roll-ups/day	15.7 (15.2)
Age started (years)	13.0 (5–15)
Alcohol
Daily drinking	46 (36.0%)
Units/week (recommended 4u maximum)	200.7 (151.1)
Age of first drink (years)^m	13 (11.5–15.0)
Previous withdrawals/DTs	38 (82.6%)
Previous detox/rehab for alcohol	30 (65.2%)

^aSelf-reported; ^adata missing n = 2. ^bIn past 6 months. ^b1Data missing n = 1. ^cFrom 65 respondents reporting injecting drug use. ^dData missing n = 11. ^en = 4; ^fn = 32; ^gn = 12; ^hn = 1; ⁱn = 33; ^jn = 8; ^kn = 21; ^ln = 38; ^j1Street Valium + hash; ^mData from n = 105; missing n = 7

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ISSN: 1477-7517

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