Frequency of Hepatitis C in patients presented with isolated thrombocytopenia.

Abstract

Objective: HCV-related thrombocytopenia poses challenges in infection and treatment. This study emphasizes screening for early thrombocytopenia as it signals hematological abnormalities, indicating bleeding tendencies and complications. Study Design: Cross-sectional Investigation. Setting: Pathology Department of Allama Iqbal Medical College and Jinnah Hospital. Period: November 2019 to November 2020. Methods: Included 180 participants with platelet counts <100,000/µl, normal hemoglobin, and WBC counts. Exclusions: anemia, leucopenia, prior Hepatitis C treatment, and platelet clumps. Data on age, gender, socioeconomic status, and family history were collected. Platelet counts and HCV detection utilized peripheral smears and venous blood samples, analyzed with SPSS version 25.0. Results: In a study of 180 thrombocytopenic patients of all ages were included with mean age 32. Among 34 HCV-positive cases, 102 had a family history, with age-wise distribution: 18, 14, 2. Gender: 20 males, 14 females. HCV-positive households: 21 positive, 13 negative. Significant p-values for age groups (p=0.000), non-significant for gender (p=0.281), socioeconomic status (p=0.083), and household HCV status (p=0.505). Conclusion: A significant association exists between decreased platelet count and Hepatitis C virus, providing valuable insights for screening in clinical settings.