Factors associated with emergency room use among injection drug users of African-American, Hispanic and White-European background.

INTRAVENOUS drug abusers; DRUG abusers; HOSPITAL emergency services; HIV infections; AIDS; MENTAL health

This study examined the relationship between substance abuse treatment use, health services use, HIV status, and emergency room/hospital use for 507 injection drug users (IDUs). Logistic regression models showed that mental health status, severity of drug use and private health insurance were significantly associated with having used emergency room/hospital services in the past six months. History of substance abuse treatment use, positive HIV/AIDS diagnosis, mental health service use, ethnic/racial background, gender, age, education and homelessness were not significant at either the bivariate or the multivariate level. These results point to the need to improve mental health screening and referrals through emergency room medical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]