prevalence of hepatitis in patients with congenital coagulation disorders

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B and C infection, vaccination rates and the development of inhibitors among patients with congenital coagulation disorders. A cross-sectional study "was conducted at the Centre of Congenital Coagulation Disorders in Al-Mansour Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Baghdad in the period between 1st of March to 31st of August 2008. The study sample was comprised of 243 patients with different congenital coagulation disorders who attended the centre during the study period. Data were collected through precoded and structured questionnaire introduced only by the researcher by interviewing the patient or his/her relative or care taker, in addition to recording laboratory investigations from the patient file. The result showed that Hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease constituted the majority [90.1%] of the studied sample, while rare bleeding disorders were 9.9% of the studied sample. Hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection was found in 40.3% of all patients with congenital coagulation disorders. Most patients [82.7%] had received hepatitis B vaccination. Inhibitors were found only in patients with hemophilia A and occurred in 2.5% of them. The prevalence of HCV infection among patients with congenital coagulation disorders was similar to other studies in mediterranean region, there was a high rate of vaccination against hepatitis B virus among the studied sample