EC Clinical and Medical Case Reports

Introduction: Chronic hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is responsible for almost one third cases of cirrhosis which require liver transplantation as the definitive treatment which in developing country like India, is not easily accessible due to limited centres and specialists for the same. The awareness regarding HCV is required in patients, family members and society at large.

Aims and Objectives: The aim was to study awareness about their disease in confirmed patients of Hepatitis C.

Materials and Methods: The present study was a hospital based, prospective, observational study conducted at PGIMS, Rohtak for ten years i.e. 01.01.2015 to 31.12.2024, for determining awareness about hepatitis C in confirmed patients of hepatitis B. In ten years, total 25,000 hepatitis C patients were enrolled. Out of them, in 1000 patients in whom HCV RNA was not detected in quantitative test on Polymerase chain reaction test (PCR) were excluded. Hence, final analysis was done on data obtained of 24,000 patients. All of these patients were evaluated on basis of detailed questionnaire regarding awareness about their HCV infection.

Results: Out of total pool of 24,000 patients, only 980 patients were having complete awareness about different aspects related to HCV infection. One hundred patients, in addition to these 980 patients had partial knowledge about HBV.

Conclusion: There is urgent need of increasing awareness regarding mode of transmission, spread of disease, precautions and available treatment regarding their disease in hepatitis C patients.

 Keywords: HCV; Awareness; Anti HCV Antibody; HCV RNA Quantitative; Uneducated; Rural

1. Alter MJ., et al. “Sporadic non-A, non-B hepatitis: frequency and epidemiology in an urban United States population”. Journal of Infectious Diseases 6 (1982): 886-893.
2. Alter MJ., et al. “Importance of heterosexual activity in the transmission of hepatitis B and non-A, non-B hepatitis”. Journal of the American Medical Association9 (1989): 1201-1205.
3. Garfein RS., et al. “Viral infections in short-term injection drug users: the prevalence of the hepatitis C, hepatitis B, human immunodeficiency, and human T-lymphotropic viruses”. American Journal of Public Health5 (1996): 655-671.
4. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. “Recommendations for prevention and control of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and HCV-related chronic disease”. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly ReportRR-19 (1998): 1-39.
5. De Carli G., et al. “Risk of hepatitis C virus transmission following percutaneous exposure in healthcare workers”. Infection2 (2003): 22-27.
6. Flamm SL., et al. “Risk factors associated with chronic hepatitis C virus infection: limited frequency of an unidentified source of transmission”. American Journal of Gastroenterology 4 (1998): 597-600.