Hep-net opinion about the management of patients with chronic hepatitis C in Pakistan in the era of available direct acting antivirals

In Pakistan, we have 4.9% prevalence of HCV in general population, with 79% genotype 3. Recently Sofosbuvir has been made available at compassionate price in Pakistan. Management of chronic hepatitis C includes counseling of HCV patients, their proper assessment to select those who need antiviral therapy, initiation of appropriate antiviral agents and duration of therapy, along-with careful monitoring for safety and efficacy. Hepatic status as well as previous history of HCV therapy needs to be taken in the consideration before starting antiviral therapy. Other factors include co-morbid conditions like obesity, DM, NASH, etc. Treatment of special populations like liver transplant patients, patients with HBV co-infection, chronic kidney disease and hemoglobinopathies need special considerations when initiating HCV therapy

Dyspepsia and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy; Multan experience

To find out causes of dyspepsia on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Endoscopy unit of Nishtar Hospital Multan. May 2005 to August 2007. Patients suffering from dyspepsia were referred by consultants of Nishtar Hospital Multan and doctors working in the periphery for endoscopy. 502 patients were scoped for dyspepsia; 254 [50.6%] were male and 248 [49.4%] were female. Mean age was 42.5 years and age range was 7-95 years. Most common lesion was gastroduodenitis [20% cases] followed by gastric ulcer [5.4% cases]. Ratio of duodenal ulcer to gastric ulcer was 1:2.56% patients had no pathology; females were more likely to have normal endoscopy. Gastroduodenitis is the most frequent organic cause of dyspepsia. Functional dyspepsia is more common among females