HEPATITIS B AND C VIRUS INFECTIONS

Abstract

Patients with end stage renal disease require haemodialysis as a part of theirtreatment. The incidence of hepatitis B and C virus infection is quite high in patients undergoingmaintenance haemodialysis than in general population. This risk is specifically associatedwith use of blood and its products as well as repeated intravascular access in these patients.Objectives: To determine the seropositivity of hepatitis B and C virus infection in patientsreceiving haemodialysis. Design: Descriptive cross sectional study. Setting: NephrologyDepartment, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad, Pakistan. Period: From October 2014 toApril 2015. Methods: Five hundred patients were included in the study based on inclusionand exclusion criteria. Demographic data was recorded and detailed history was taken fromeach patient specifically about the no of blood transfusions received, the frequency of dialysisand the dialysis done in other centers. All patients were checked for the presence of hepatitisB surface antigen (HbsAg) and antibodies to HCV using third generation enzyme linkedimmunoassay (ELISA). Results: Mean age of study sample was 46±5 years with 60.8 % males.Incidence of hepatitis positive cases was 164 (32.8 %), out of which 66 (13.2 %) patients wereHBV positive and 98 (19.08 %) patients were HCV positive. The hepatitis B and C infectionswere more common in males than females. Seropositivity of HBV and HCV was higher (HBV18.1 % and HCV 22.2 %) among haemodialysis patients who have received more than threeblood transfusions. The frequency of HBV and HCV infections increases significantly with theincrease in frequency of dialysis, with 49 (17.11 %) patients were HBV positive and 70 (24.5%) patients were HCV positive cases, who have received haemodialysis for more than fivetimes. There were 48 (15.7 %) HBV positive cases as well as 68 (22.3 %) HCV positive cases inpatients who have received their treatment from a single center. Conclusion: Hepatitis B andC infection is quite common in patients undergoing haemodialysis. The risk of these infectionscan be reduced by following infection control guidelines, proper training of the staff and strictscreening of blood and blood products specifically for hepatitis C virus.