Intravenous opioid use disorder and risk of relapse: a comparison among common users, needle-fixated individuals, and belonephiliacs (from medical history to prognosis)

Objective the aim is to investigate differences in relapse risk among various subgroups of patients diagnosed with intravenous opioid use disorder.Method over a period of two years, all new patients presenting to the Cesena pathological addiction service with a prior diagnosis of intravenous opioid use disorder were interviewed; their relapse rates were investigated, and their behavioral profiles were analyzed; once their relapse status was confirmed, they were asked to explain their stance regarding the use of the hypodermic needle; three distinct subgroups were possible: the first group comprised patients who had never experienced “needle fixation”; the second group included patients who were currently experiencing or had previously experienced needle fixation; the third group consisted of patients who were currently experiencing or had previously experienced “belonephilia.”Results the three subgroups exhibited widely differing recurrence rates, with the risk increasing from the first to the last.Conclusions patients diagnosed with intravenous opioid use disorder face an extremely high risk of relapse, particularly in the first few years after cessation; in this study, the patients with the lowest relapse rate are the “pure” users; the second group faces certainly higher risk; the third group presents a significantly higher risk than the others.