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Experiences of using ultrasound scanning as a tool for reducing harm among femoral injectors
Richard Sanbanjo, Clinical Director, KCA
Abstract
Femoral injecting is a cause of serious harm among drug users. It challenges services to develop new and effective ways of working and has generated ethical questions about the role of clinicians within drug services. Although ultrasonography is a first line diagnostic tool in many medical specialties, the potential benefits of the technology as an aid for reducing harm among femoral injectors is largely unexplored within drug treatment services.
This paper describes the process and our early experiences of establishing a vascular ultrasound service for femoral injectors that is delivered within KCA’s community drug services alongside standard treatment. Our experience suggests that with the advent of modern, portable ultrasound scanners, patients who inject in the femoral vein can now benefit from easier access to vascular imaging within community drug clinics. Point-of-care ultrasonography has proved popular and valuable in educating patients about the risks of femoral injecting and appears to be a potential aid to reducing risky behaviours and harm.
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