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December 2002, Vol 92, No. 12 | American Journal of Public Health 1915-1917
© 2002 American Public Health Association

FIELD ACTION REPORT

Expanding Harm Reduction Services Through a Wound and Abscess Clinic

Lauretta E. Grau, PhD, Silvia Arevalo, LVN, Christopher Catchpool, BA and Robert Heimer, PhD For The Diffusion Of Benefit Through Syringe Exchange Study Team

Lauretta E. Grau and Robert Heimer are with the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. Silvia Avevalo and Christopher Catchpool are with Casa Segura/Safehouse, HIV Education and Prevention Project of Alameda County, Oakland, Calif.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Lauretta E. Grau, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 208034, New Haven, CT 06520-8034 (e-mail: lauretta.grau{at}yale.edu).

A wound and abscess clinic, held concurrently with a syringe exchange, provided economical treatment and aftercare for injection-associated soft tissue infections. During 20 two-hour clinic sessions, 173 treatment episodes were logged, and the visit cost was estimated at $5 per patient.

Increased patient–clinician interactions provided opportunities beyond those afforded by the syringe exchange for patients to obtain resources and referrals to services such as HIV counseling and testing, medical care, and drug treatment.

Distribution of cards advertising the clinic was substantially less effective than word of mouth in increasing community awareness of the clinic.






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