ABSTRACT
Introduction This chapter is concerned with infections in the IVDU, the patient on the ICU and, amongst others, those individuals who are immunosuppressed as a result of chemotherapy given to combat a malignancy. Certain viruses are mentioned here, as an appreciation of them is relevant in the overall assessment of the patients considered in this chapter. For example, the very nature of sharing needles means that the blood-borne viruses HBV, hepatitis C virus, and HIV must always be considered in the IVDU.
