Linkage to Care for Chronic Hepatitis B and C Among Blood Donors in India
Author Information
Author(s): Ahammed Sk Mahiuddin, Singh Boby Maibam, Saren Swapan, Dey Pratik, Roy Raja, Chowdhury Abhijit
Primary Institution: Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata, India
Hypothesis
What are the barriers to linkage to care for chronic viral hepatitis among blood donors in India?
Conclusion
The study found that linkage to care for chronic hepatitis B and C was very poor, with only 27.7% of HBV and 9% of HCV patients attending the treatment clinic.
Supporting Evidence
- Only 27.7% of HBsAg positive and 8.9% of anti-HCV positive patients attended the NVHCP clinic.
- Among those who attended, 87.8% of HBV and 100% of HCV-infected patients were retained in care.
- All HCV patients achieved sustained virological response at 12 weeks.
Takeaway
This study looked at how many people with hepatitis B and C got the help they needed after being tested, and found that most didn't go to the doctor.
Methodology
Observational cross-sectional study of healthy blood donors who were HBsAg or anti-HCV reactive.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the study's reliance on self-reported data and the limited geographical scope.
Limitations
The study was limited to two blood banks and may not represent the entire population; also, patients were contacted via telephone, which has limitations.
Participant Demographics
Participants were healthy voluntary blood donors aged 18 to 65, with a male to female ratio of 6.5:1.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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