Intravenous and non-intravenous cocaine abusers admitted to inpatient detoxification treatment: a 3-year medical-chart review of patient characteristics and predictors of treatment re-admission

This naturalistic study examined the admissions and re-admissions of 341 intravenous (IV) and non-IV cocaine abusers over a 3-year period to an inpatient, hospital-based drug-and-alcohol detoxification treatment program. IV cocaine abusers reported higher rates of residential instability, unemployment, Hepatitis C, HIV and cirrhosis than non-IV cocaine abusers. In addition, IV cocaine abusers were administered more medical evaluative tests during treatment and accessed inpatient detoxification treatment more often during the 3-year study period. A Cox regression model demonstrated that residential instability and IV route of cocaine administration were significant predictors of inpatient detoxification re-admission. In light of the important differences between IV and non-IV cocaine-abusing groups, detoxification services should view route of cocaine administration as a key topic in treatment delivery and residential stability as an important topic in the discharge-and-referral process. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.