Completion of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Treatment in Interferon-Induced Major Depressive Disorder with Psychotic Features

Interferon (IFN)-associated psychiatric disorders can be managed without interruption to hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. The limited number of cases in the literature reporting psychotic depression as an adverse drug reaction to IFN resulted in discontinuation of HCV therapy. The author reports a case of a 49 year-old man with chronic HCV genotype 1a treated with pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin developing major depressive disorder with psychotic features. The patient was successfully treated with both an antidepressant and antipsychotic for this suspected IFN-associated adverse drug effect while continuing 12 months of uninterrupted HCV treatment and subsequently achieving sustained hepatitis C virological response. Although IFN can cause distressing psychiatric disturbances, appropriate treatment with psychotropic agents and careful monitoring allows patients to be maintained on a full course of HCV treatment.

Iron nutritional status of adolescent girls from rural area and urban slum.

Iron nutritional status of adolescent girls belonging to an urban slum and rural areas was assessed by measuring serum ferritin levels. Overall anemia was observed in 25% of the girls irrespective of their urban rural residence. A higher percentage of rural girls (37.5%) especially below the age of 12 years showed evidence of anemia. Thereafter, the prevalence was similar in both urban and rural girls who had not attained menarche. With increasing age, urban girls who had attained menarche showed an increase in the prevalence of anemia. The prevalence of iron deficiency (serum ferritin < 12 micrograms/dl) showed a progressive increase from 60% at < 12 to 28% at > 14 yrs especially in the girls not attained menarche in the girls not attained menarche in the rural area. Overall iron deficiency was of much higher order in the rural girls irrespective of the menarcheal status. Distribution of iron/folate tablets to cover girl population may go a long way to correct the anemia and iron deficiency in the vulnerable groups.