Regarding hepatitis C, which of the following statements is CORRECT:
Transmission is mainly through infected blood.
Risk factors include:
Sexual transmission and vertical transmission do occur but are uncommon.
Infection may cause a mild hepatitis but many cases are asymptomatic; fulminant disease is rare. In about 20% of cases infection is cleared by the immune system but patients are not immune to future HCV infection.
HCV infection persists in up to 80% of patients, who are at high risk of developing cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma between 10 - 30 years later.
Diagnosis is by detection of anti-HCV IgG antibodies which indicate if a person has ever been infected with HCV (resolved or current infection). If the antibody test is positive, HCV RNA should be tested for, which if positive indicates that a person has current infection with active hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C is a notifiable disease.
Treatment is with combination therapy initiated by a specialist, usually with ribavirin and pegylated interferon, and often combined with a newer medication such as simeprevir or sofosbuvir; response is best in patients with particular genotypes and those with low initial viral loads but about 70- 90% will clear the virus.
Liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for people with end-stage liver disease.
There is no HCV vaccine available currently.
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Biochemistry | Normal Value |
---|---|
Sodium | 135 – 145 mmol/l |
Potassium | 3.0 – 4.5 mmol/l |
Urea | 2.5 – 7.5 mmol/l |
Glucose | 3.5 – 5.0 mmol/l |
Creatinine | 35 – 135 μmol/l |
Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) | 5 – 35 U/l |
Gamma-glutamyl Transferase (GGT) | < 65 U/l |
Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) | 30 – 135 U/l |
Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) | < 40 U/l |
Total Protein | 60 – 80 g/l |
Albumin | 35 – 50 g/l |
Globulin | 2.4 – 3.5 g/dl |
Amylase | < 70 U/l |
Total Bilirubin | 3 – 17 μmol/l |
Calcium | 2.1 – 2.5 mmol/l |
Chloride | 95 – 105 mmol/l |
Phosphate | 0.8 – 1.4 mmol/l |
Haematology | Normal Value |
---|---|
Haemoglobin | 11.5 – 16.6 g/dl |
White Blood Cells | 4.0 – 11.0 x 109/l |
Platelets | 150 – 450 x 109/l |
MCV | 80 – 96 fl |
MCHC | 32 – 36 g/dl |
Neutrophils | 2.0 – 7.5 x 109/l |
Lymphocytes | 1.5 – 4.0 x 109/l |
Monocytes | 0.3 – 1.0 x 109/l |
Eosinophils | 0.1 – 0.5 x 109/l |
Basophils | < 0.2 x 109/l |
Reticulocytes | < 2% |
Haematocrit | 0.35 – 0.49 |
Red Cell Distribution Width | 11 – 15% |
Blood Gases | Normal Value |
---|---|
pH | 7.35 – 7.45 |
pO2 | 11 – 14 kPa |
pCO2 | 4.5 – 6.0 kPa |
Base Excess | -2 – +2 mmol/l |
Bicarbonate | 24 – 30 mmol/l |
Lactate | < 2 mmol/l |
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