Infectious Complications of Substance Use: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Hospitalized Veterans

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2025 May 17;12(6):ofaf301. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaf301. eCollection 2025 Jun.

Abstract

Invasive bacterial infections (IBI) associated with drug use are increasing, but the full disease burden remains unknown. We characterized national trends in the prevalence of IBI among veterans with evidence of substance use using a large, national cohort. High rates of IBI highlight a need for more comprehensive infection reduction strategies, including emphasis on gram-negative infections.

Keywords: bacteremia; blood stream infections; substance use.