Hepatitis C

Data gathering

  • Red flags – wt loss
  • Others – yellowing,itching, drugs, alcohol, STIs/sexual history, blood transfusions
  • Examine – abdo, pulse, BP, jaundice

 

Clinical management

  • Investigations
    • Bloods – HIV, HBV, HAV, ferritin, glucose, LFTs
  • Explanation
    • HCV is a disease carried in the blood, can damage the liver. Usually passed by sharing needles, blood transfusions, sexual contact. Some people clear it, in others it persists.
  • Treatment
    • Refer to gastroenterology – treatments increase chance of clearing virus
    • Alcohol – avoid
    • Infectious – avoid sharing razors, safe sex, screen contacts
  • Follow-up / Safety net – PIL

 

Interpretation of HCV bloods

  • chronic – antibody positive, RNA positive
  • antibody negative – repeat in 6mo as may take this to develop in bloods