ABSTRACT
Objectives: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C virus among injecting drugs users, furthermore different genotypes of HCV infection and their effect on viral load were also found and subsequently most prevalent subtype was predicted
Methods: All samples were processed for Anti-HCV antibody detection through ELISA by using third generation ELISA Kit. The Anti-HCV positive serum samples were stored for RT-PCR to estimate the viral load and genotypes of HCV for study. Injecting drug users selected from in and around Lahore Metropolitan from July 2012 to August 2013 was included. The data analysis was completed by using SPSS version 16. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered to be significant
Results: A total of 241 Injecting drug users were enrolled and screened for Anti HCV in the study. Prevalence of HCV infection in IDUs from Lahore was found to be 36.09%. Education [p=0.000], low socioeconomic status [p=0.011], Blood transfusion [0.003], any tattoo on the body [p=0.002], use of injectable drugs with reused syringes [p=0.000] and sharing of syringes [p=0.001] in groups was significantly associated with HCV infection. Some utensils were also significantly associated with HCV status. The most common subtype of HCV genotype was 3a [n=65] followed by 2a [n=15] and 1a [n=6]
Conclusion: The study reveals that IDUs with reused syringes status and sharing of syringes in group had more chances to get HCV infection. The viral load in IDUs infected with different subtypes of genotype was significantly associated
ABSTRACT
Uni-variate time series data analysis has been reported in medical literature for prediction the patients volume, emergency overcrowding, stay length in hospital on surgical procedure and bed occupancy in hospital wards, patients influx or patients arrival, moreover to estimate the cost of hospital stay or any medical or surgical procedure. The present study was designed to fit an appropriate uni-variate ARIMA model [Box-Jenkin methodology] to forecast the patient's incoming at OPML, Mayo Hospital, Lahore. Mayo Hospital Lahore, September 2009 to December 2013 were used for fitting the best model. Time series data of male, female and peads patients coming/reporting in OPML, OPD. The appropriate model for male and female data was found as ARIMA [1, 0, 1] and for peads as ARIMA [1, 1, 1] after residuals diagnostic checks. The estimated number of male patients for Month of January2014 is 632 whereas the actual incoming of male patients in the month of January, 2014 was 649, which shows that the estimated model has ability to forecast the number of incoming patients accurately. It is now concluded that the fitted ARIMA model can be used to forecast the patients incoming to OPD Medical Laboratory for future planning and management
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Nursing staff is at potential danger of getting HCV infection. Objective of present study is to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of hepatitis C among nurses in Lahore, Pakistan. It also aimed to estimate the HCV genotypes and find out any relationship between their working area and the incidence of HCV infection
Setting: Various public and private hospitals of Lahore
Period: January 2013 to December 2013
Subjects and Method: This study comprised 186 Nurses. All the samples were processed for Anti-HCV antibody detection through ELISA by using third generation ELISA Kit. Genotyping was also performed on all positive samples. In this study the data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. A P-value < 0.05 was considered to be significant
Results: A total of 186 nurses were enrolled and screened for Anti HCV in the study. The mean age of reactive and non reactive nurses was 22.33 +/- 1.15 and 23.66 +/- 1.97 years, respectively. Working experience in surgical wards, habits for going to beauty salon as well as the purpose for which nurses visited beauty salon was significantly associated with HCV status. i.e. p-value<0.05. Out of 9 reactive nurses, 8 patient nurses had 3a viral genotype while 01 patient had un-typeable viral genotype
Conclusion: In our study nine nurses have HCV infection and are at danger of the disease.The working area especially surgical wards is a source of infection of HCV
ABSTRACT
Objectives: The aim of the current study was to estimate the seroprevalence and risk factors investigation associated with hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection in general patients attending various public and private hospitals of Lahore metropolitan
Study Design: Cross sectional study
Setting: Out Patient Departments [OPDs] of public hospitals, comprising of Mayo Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Services Hospital, Jinnah Hospital and Lahore General Hospital of Lahore
Period: 2012
Material and Methods: A total of 904 patients from outpatient departments of five public and two private hospitals were enrolled during 2012. Blood samples were collected to evaluate their anti-HCV status using 3rd generation ELISA. To find out the risk factors associated with HCV infection, the data was collected on a pretested and validated questionnaire
Results: The seroprevalence was estimated to be 14.6%. Mean age of reactive and non-reactive general patients was significantly associated [P=0.012] with anti- HCV status. Marital status [OR=2.042], socioeconomic status, blood donation [OR=2.15], prescription by doctor or non-doctor [OR=2.664], route of drug administration, relatives having hepatitis and towel sharing [OR=1.987] were significantly associated [P<0.05] risk factors for HCV infection
Conclusion: The study reveals a higher prevalence of HCV infection in general patients of Lahore due to poor socioeconomic status, treatment by quacks, excessive use of injectable drugs, house hold contacts with hepatitis patients and lack of awareness about the HCV transmission