ABSTRACT
To study the prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies in the serum of haemodialysis population of Multan. Design: Study of the HCV antibodies in the maintenance hemodialysis population. Setting: Hemodialysis units of Nishtar Hospital Multan and Shifa Medical Complex Multan. Thirty-two patients who were on maintenance haemodialysis at these centres were included in the study. In thirty-two patients who were on maintenance haemodialysis, second generation ELISA was performed to detect the HCV antibodies. Out of these 32 patients 12 [37.5%] were anti HCV positive. There was significant positive correlation between prevalence of anti HCV and duration of haemodialysis. About 2/3 were being dialysed for more than 20 months. There was higher prevalence among the group having blood transfusions. This group also showed positive correlation between the number of transfusions and sero-positivity. Conclusions:- There is substantial anti HCV positivity in haemodialysis population.- There is positive correlation between anti HCV and duration of dialysis suggesting that factors within the dialysis unit might contribute to the spread of virus. Boold transfused group is dangerously exposed to the virus because the non HCV containing non-screened blood was transfused