Using health belief model constructs to understand the role of perceived disease threat and resilience in responding to COVID-19 among people who use drugs: a cluster analysis.

Introduction: The Health Belief Model (HBM) has been successfully applied to understanding adherence to COVID-19 prevention practices. It has not, however, been used to understand behavior in people who use drugs (PWUD). The aim of this study was to use the HBM to better understand COVID-19 perceptions among PWUD and understand how resiliency affects those perceptions.

A novel approach to autogenous hemodialysis access: paired brachial vein transposition in series.

Autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation is the preferred method for long-term hemodialysis access. This report describes the novel use of paired brachial veins for the creation of an autogenous AVF in a patient without a traditional superficial venous conduit available. Application of this general concept might serve to expand the options for autogenous AVF creation.

"It's my frenemy": A qualitative exploration of knowledge and perceptions of fentanyl use during the COVID-19 pandemic in people who use drugs at a syringe services program in Philadelphia, PA.

Background: Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the proliferation of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, overdose deaths have surged in the United States, making it important to understand how individuals who use drugs experience and perceive the risks of fentanyl use and how it has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Twenty clients from a Philadelphia syringe services program completed a questionnaire and in-depth interview about their fentanyl experiences from January to March 2021. These interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis methods.