Abstract

The high prevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection contributes to morbidity and mortality among patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Nosocomial transmission can be prevented by strict infection control measures and early screening. Present study aims to determine the prevalence of HCV infection in a hemodialysis unit in Central Kerala, India using Real-time PCR and third-generation ELISA. Methods: The present descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from November 2017 to June 2018 included 117 patients with chronic renal failure who underwent maintenance hemodialysis. Sociodemographic data and detailed history regarding risk factors were taken by interview and from medical records. HCV RNA estimation using real-time PCR and antibody detection using third-generation ELISA were performed using blood samples collected from the patients. Results: Most of the patients were males with a mean age of 48years. Prevalence was 9.4% for HCV RNA and 10.3% for antibodies. The performance of the third-generation ELISA was comparable to the PCR method. Duration of hemodialysis, dialyzer reuse, history of blood transfusion, and positive antibody status was found to be significant risk factors for HCV viremia. Interpretation & conclusions: The prevalence of HCV infection is low in our setting. But there is a need to review infection control practices to identify lapses in dialyzer reuse and safe blood transfusion. A robust infection control program including isolation policy along with screening using high performance third generation ELISA kits can reduce the incidence of HCV infection in hemodialysis centers.

Description

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