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Hepatitis C for the General Practitioner

Learn why and how to test for hepatitis C, who should be tested, testing methods, and treatment considerations. Understand the link between hepatitis C and liver cancer.

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Hepatitis C for the General Practitioner

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  1. Hepatitis C for the General Practitioner Morris Sherman MB BCh PhD FRCP(C) University of Toronto January 2013

  2. Testing for hepatitis C • Why should patients be tested? • Who should be tested? • What tests to do

  3. Why test for hepatitis C • Hepatitis C is common • Prevalence between 0.8-1% • 272,000-340,000 people in Canada • All patients with hepatitis C will develop progressive liver disease • Rate of progression is variable • Some will never develop cirrhosis • This is unpredictable • Hepatitis C is curable • Current therapy will cure 65-75% • Future therapy will cure > 90%

  4. Who should be tested for hepatitis C • Test patients who fall into recognized at-risk groups • Anyone who ever used injection drugs, even once, and even if it was many years ago • History of incarceration • Tattoos in an unlicensed parlour • Anyone transfused before 1990 • Immigrants from countries where hepatitis C is highly prevalent • Italy • Egypt • Somalia • Japan • All Eastern European countries • Vietnam

  5. Who to test for hepatitis C • However, risk-based testing not very effective • Risk factors often not recognized • Canadian Liver Foundation recommends testing all adults born between 1945 and 1975. • Accounts for more than 80% of all hepatitis C in Canada • Includes most previous injection drug users • Includes most at-risk adult immigrants

  6. How to test for hepatitis C • Anti-HCV • Indicates exposure • Does not confirm current infection • About 20-30% will clear virus but remain antibody-positive • If positive this has to be followed by • HCV RNA and HCV genotype • Positive HCV RNA confirms active infection • Genotype and viral load are important to decide on treatment strategy • Liver blood tests

  7. Liver blood tests • These are tests that should be done in patients with hepatitis C to assess liver disease • ALT • Marker of hepatic inflammation • A normal ALT does not exclude significant liver disease • Bilirubin, albumin, INR • These are tests of liver function • Any abnormal tests requires further investigation • CBC • A low platelet count raises the possibility of cirrhosis • Ultrasound

  8. Indicators of possible cirrhosis • AST > ALT • Elevated ALP with no other explanation • Low platelets • Low white cell count • (excluding constitutional low levels in people of African descent) • Ultrasound findings of • Coarse echotexture of the liver (assuming no fatty infiltration) • Splenomegaly • Nodular liver

  9. Who should be treated for hepatitis C • Treatment decision takes many variables into account • Patient wishes • Likelihood of response • Urgency or lack of urgency for treatment • Severity of liver disease • All patients should be evaluated for treatment • Patients with normal or only mildly elevated ALT should also be assessed for treatment • Some will have advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis

  10. Hepatitis C and Liver Cancer • There is an increased risk of liver cancer in patients with hepatitis C • The risk is largely limited to patients with cirrhosis • Late stage fibrosis also has an increased risk, although not as high as with cirrhosis • Patients at high risk should undergo HCC screening with ultrasound once every 6 months

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