Frequency of chronic Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C seropositivity in haemodialysis patients; A single center study.

Abstract

Objectives: To study the spectrum of chronic hepatitis in haemodialysis patients. Study Design:  Cross Sectional study. Setting: Kutiyanana Memon Hospital (KMH), A Tertiary Care, Charity Hospital at Karachi, Pakistan. Period: Jun 2015 to May 2020. Material & Methods: During the study period, 87 patients were followed up on and tested for hepatitis B and C virus infection. The patients were included in the study after calculation of sample size and application of inclusion and exclusion criteria. AxSYM, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based fast immunochromatographic technology, was used to screen the samples (Abbott Laboratories, Abbot Park, IL, USA). Hepatitis B and C prevalence was established, as well as the frequency of different sequelae such cirrhosis, encephalopathy, and hepatocellular cancer. Results: Our sample population was almost evenly split between males and females, with 44 (51%) males and 43 (59%) females. Three of the 43 females tested positive for HBV, whereas 19 (63 %) tested positive for HCV. On the other hand, in males, 11 (37 %) had chronic HCV and 9 (75 %) had Chronic HBV infection, accounting for 34% of the total HBV population. Conclusion: In haemodialysis patients, hepatitis B and C are very common. They are adding to morbidity and mortality of already suffering community. This trend is surrogate marker of suboptimal infection control techniques during dialysis in underdeveloped countries like Pakistan. To protect an already afflicted community from a potentially preventable disease, immediate measures are required for prevention and early diagnosis of chronic hepatitis.