Journal of Applied Pharmacy
Open Access

Abstract

To Determine the Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus in Patients of Teku Hospital, Nepal, Kathmandu

Akriti Nepal and Muhammad Abbas

The project “Hepatitis C and evaluation of treatment outcome” was taken to study the rarely touched aspect associated with Hepatitis C. Most of the studies conducted in Nepal are focused on the prevalence of hepatitis C surface antigen. It detects active disease only but does not detect the infections of the past which became immune naturally. The present study hence was conducted to determine the sero-prevalence and the epidemiological characteristics of Hepatitis C. The research was carried out in Teku Hospital Kathmandu Nepal where prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 2700 HIV infection patients with a functioning graft was studied.”
A Univariate Analysis was used, and included calculation of odd ratios for hepatitis C infection by each variable of interest, including sex, age, profession, marital status, history of jaundice by the patient, invasive procedure, and history of blood transfusion and practice of Universal precautions by providing medicines and liver biopsy test easily. The result showed that there was a low frequency of HCV in all the patients infected with HIV. In Teku Hospital, 100 among 2700 patients were infected with hepatitis C (3.703%). This suggests that preventive measures for this disease can improve the situation significantly.
Presently, Teku Hospital uses antiviral drugs, vitamin complexes and common anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic drugs to provide immediate relief to the patients. But in absence of interferon in the treatment, the patients don’t get proper respite. Interferons being expensive are not easy to access. For the betterment of the situation, interferons like (Pegylated Interferons) and Ribavirin should be included in the list of essential drugs in Nepal, along with implementation of proper preventive measures against HCV.