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Hepatitis C risk factor for patients submitted to dialysis

Maria Zélia Baldessar1, Jane Bettiol, Fabrício Foppa

  • 1University of Extreme South of Santa Catarina, Tubarão, Brazil. neief@uol.com.br

The Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases
|July 13, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis C infection affects 16.8% of dialysis patients in Tubarao, Brazil. Longer dialysis treatment duration significantly increases the risk of acquiring this infection.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Nephrology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Hepatitis C poses a significant health risk to patients undergoing renal dialysis.
  • Understanding the prevalence and transmission factors is crucial for patient care and infection control in dialysis settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among dialysis patients.
  • To identify factors associated with HCV seropositivity in this vulnerable population.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study conducted at the Clinic of Renal Diseases (CRDT) in Tubarao, Brazil.
  • Data collected from January 1st to December 31st, 2004.
  • Analysis of patient demographics, medical history, and dialysis parameters.

Main Results:

  • A prevalence of 16.8% for Hepatitis C was observed in the studied dialysis patient cohort.
  • Prolonged duration of dialysis treatment emerged as a significant risk factor for HCV infection.
  • No significant correlation was found between HCV seropositivity and age, gender, underlying diseases, clinic infrastructure, dialysis machine type, dialyzer characteristics, or dialyzer reuse frequency.

Conclusions:

  • Hepatitis C infection is highly prevalent in patients undergoing dialysis.
  • The duration of dialysis treatment is a critical risk factor for acquiring Hepatitis C infection in this population.
  • Further research and stringent infection control measures are warranted to mitigate HCV transmission in dialysis units.

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