ABSTRACT
Patients with end stage renal disease require haemodialysis as a part of their treatment. The incidence of hepatitis B and C virus infection is quite high in patients undergoing maintenance haemodialysis than in general population. This risk is specifically associated with 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 patients receiving haemodialysis
Design: Descriptive cross sectional study
Setting: Nephrology Department, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad, Pakistan
Period: From October 2014 to April 2015
Methods: Five hundred patients were included in the study based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Demographic data was recorded and detailed history was taken from each patient specifically about the no of blood transfusions received, the frequency of dialysis and the dialysis done in other centers. All patients were checked for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen [HbsAg] and antibodies to HCV using third generation enzyme linked immunoassay [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 were HBV positive and 98 [19.08%] patients were HCV positive. The hepatitis B and C infections were more common in males than females. Seropositivity of HBV and HCV was higher [HBV 18.1% and HCV 22.2%] among haemodialysis patients who have received more than three blood transfusions. The frequency of HBV and HCV infections increases significantly with the increase 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 five times. There were 48 [15.7%] HBV positive cases as well as 68 [22.3%] HCV positive cases in patients who have received their treatment from a single center
Conclusion: Hepatitis B and C infection is quite common in patients undergoing haemodialysis. The risk of these infections can be reduced by following infection control guidelines, proper training of the staff and strict screening of blood and blood products specifically for hepatitis C virus