Increasing prevalence of chronic hepatitis and associated risk factors

ABSTRACT

To know the prevalence of hepatitis B and C in patients with chronic hepatitis and to identify the associated risk factors responsible for the increasing prevalence of chronic hepatitis "B" and "C" Patients and methods: Retrospective and observation study was conducted in the Department of Medicine, Federal Government Services Hospital, Islamabad, from July 2000 to march 2002,by including all patients with chronic hepatitis "B" and "C" of age 13 years and above of either sex. Total patients were 108, out of which 54 [50%. P=. 361] were males and 54 [50%. P=. 463] were females between the age group 20 to 75 years.The prevalence of hepatitis "B" was 15 [13.9%. p=. 174], hepatitis "C" 86 [79.6%. p=. 039] and hepatitis "B" and "C" 7 [6.5%. p=. 144]. The associated risk factors were transfusion in 39 [36.1%. p=.452] patients, surgery in 48 [44.4%. p=.o56] patients, tooth extraction in 57 [52.8%. p=. 060] patients, injection from quack in 44 [40.7%. P=. 025] Patients and shaving from the barber in 51 [47.2%. p=. 194] patients. The prevalence of hepatitis C is more than hepatitis B and the risk factors are transfusion of contaminated blood, surgical instruments, dental surgery with contaminated instrument, repeated injection, and shaving and unhygienic sexual relation