Title: Hepatitis C Recommendations<br/>Author: Andrea Tenner<br/><a href='http://umem.org/profiles/faculty/1069/'>[Click to email author]</a><hr/><p>
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<strong><em>Background:</em></strong></p>
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Infection with the Hepatitis C virus can result in mild to severe liver disease. Morbidity and mortality from Hep C is increasing the US--many of the 2.7-3.9 million persons with Hep C are not aware of their infection.</p>
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<strong><em>Pertinent Information:</em></strong></p>
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- Hepatitis C is now curable for many patients</p>
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- Current treatment recommendations are a combination of medications (pegylated interferon plus ribavirin plus a protease inhibitor). </p>
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- Research in this field is very active--treatment is likely to change in the next 3-5 years.</p>
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- Risk reduction strategies to protect the liver (i.e. eliminating alcohol and Hep A and B vaccination) are also recommended.</p>
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<strong><em>Critical New Recommendation</em></strong></p>
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As much of the disease burden is in the “Baby Boomers,” the CDC now recommends one time testing of all persons born between 1945 and 1965. </p>
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<strong><em>Bottom Line:</em></strong></p>
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While emergency department management is focused on the treatment of acute complications of liver disease, it is also important to have all age appropriate patients follow-up for testing and treatment of Hepatitis C with their primary care provider.</p>
<fieldset><legend>References</legend>
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Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adults [Internet]. Editors: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Chou%20R%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=23304740"><u>Chou R</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Hartung%20D%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=23304740"><u>Hartung D</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Rahman%20B%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=23304740"><u>Rahman B</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Wasson%20N%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=23304740"><u>Wasson N</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Cottrell%20E%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=23304740"><u>Cottrell E</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Fu%20R%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=23304740"><u>Fu R</u></a>. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2012 Nov. Report No.: 12(13)-EHC113-EF.
<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/n/hscompeffcollect/"><u>AHRQ Comparative Effectiveness Reviews.</u></a></p>
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Recommendations for the identification of chronic hepatitis C virus infection among persons born during 1945-1965. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Smith%20BD%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Smith BD</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Morgan%20RL%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Morgan RL</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Beckett%20GA%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Beckett GA</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Falck-Ytter%20Y%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Falck-Ytter Y</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Holtzman%20D%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Holtzman D</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Teo%20CG%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Teo CG</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Jewett%20A%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Jewett A</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Baack%20B%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Baack B</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Rein%20DB%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Rein DB</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Patel%20N%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Patel N</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Alter%20M%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Alter M</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Yartel%20A%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Yartel A</u></a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Ward%20JW%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=22895429"><u>Ward JW</u></a>; <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Centers%20for%20Disease%20Control%20and%20Prevention%5BCorporate%20Author%5D"><u>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</u></a>. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2012 Aug 17;61(RR-4):1-32</p>
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