The Prevalence and Predisposing Factors to Retained Drug Needle Fragments in People Who Inject Drugs: a Protocol for a Cross-sectional Observational Study

The clinical significance of retained needle fragments remains unknown. Needle retentions can be asymptomatic, cause local symptoms, and can sometimes even lead to dangerous complications such as needle emboli to the heart or lungs. The most common injection sites are likely the peripheral veins of the arms. However, continuous IVD use leads to vein sclerosis, and patients with long-term use may therefore also use peripheral veins of their lower limbs and even the central veins of the groin or neck. Subcutaneously retained needles can pose a risk of needlestick injury to medical staff during clinical examination and treatment procedures. Unrecognized retained needles can also cause hazards during magnetic resonance imaging.

The study protocol received a positive review from the Tampere University Hospital Ethics Committee (study code: R22037). The researchers subsequently received the organizational permissions necessary to conduct the study. PWIDs will be asked to give written informed consent prior to any study procedures. Participants will be asked to fill in a questionnaire about their basic information, drug use history, previous injection sites, and whether they have had any local complications due to injecting drugs. After the completion of the questionnaire, participants will undergo targeted X-ray imaging of the injection sites. As metallic objects, needle fragments can be visualized with standard X-ray imaging. Female participants of childbearing potential (< 50 years) will undergo urine sample pregnancy testing prior to X-ray imaging. A pilot study with 20 participants will be conducted first. Experiences from the pilot will be used to refine the study protocol if needed. If modifications are made, they will be subjected to ethics review and will be provided on ClinicalTrials.gov. After the pilot study, the researchers aim to recruit an additional 80 patients (totaling up to 100 participants).

Our research questions are 1) What is the prevalence of radiologically confirmed needle retention among PWIDs*? The secondary research questions are

1. Do patient-reported symptoms and the suspicion of a retained needle fragments correspond to radiologically confirmed needle retention?
2. What are the predisposing factors to needle fragmentation?
3. Have PWIDs sought medical attention prior to the study for possible symptoms in the injection sites?
4. How frequently are verified needle fragments surgically removed within five years after their detection, and are verified needle fragments a proxy or a risk factor for mortality? *As only patients in outpatient care will be recruited, the sample is not entirely representative of all PWIDs in the study area (e.g., people who are hospitalized or imprisoned are not recruited).