Prevalence of hepatitis C virus seropositivity among hospitalized US veterans.
BACKGROUND
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of acute and chronic hepatitis in the United States and abroad. HCV antibody prevalences ranging from 10 to 90% have been reported in intravenous drug abusers, hemodialysis patients, and persons suffering from other liver diseases, whereas HCV seropositivity rates for volunteer-blood donor populations are generally under 1%. However no information has been available concerning the prevalence of HCV in general hospital populations in the United States.


METHODS
We examined the rate of HCV seropositivity in 530 patients admitted to the Atlanta VA Medical Center between November 1993 and November 1994. The test population consisted of 400 random hospital admissions, 100 successive admissions to the surgical service, and 30 random admissions to the gastrointestinal service. Serum samples were assayed for HCV antibodies by a second generation EIA, and all repeat reactives were re-examined using a supplemental research assay to confirm the presence of HCV antibodies. Complete chart reviews were carried out on all HCV seropositive patients and on 100 HCV seronegative patients.


RESULTS
Sixty-two of the 530 patients tested (11.7%) were repeatedly positive for HCV antibodies. Of these 62 repeat reactives, 56 (90.3%) were positive and 3 others (4.8%) indeterminate by the supplemental assay. The HCV seropositivity rate after supplemental testing was 11.8% for random admissions, 5.0% for surgical admissions, and 13.3% for patients admitted to the gastroenterology service. HCV-associated risk factors in HCV seropositive patients included a history of intravenous drug abuse, current or previous alcohol abuse, previous or concurrent liver disease, previous blood transfusions, hemodialysis, and multiple sex partners or unsafe sex.


CONCLUSIONS
HCV infection may be more prevalent among hospitalized VA patients (and among other US hospital populations) than previously expected.
Austin
G E
GE
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia 30033, USA. gaustin@emory.edu
Jensen
B
B
Leete
J
J
De L'Aune
W
W
Bhatnagar
J
J
Racine
M
M
Braun
J E
JE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies