Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infections in children.
BACKGROUND
Epidemiological analysis of hepatitis C virus infections in children diagnosed and treated in the Hepatology Outpatient Clinic in Bytom between 1996 and 1999.


METHODS
The study comprised 62 children with detected serum presence of anti-HCV antibodies (ELISA method) and/or HCV-RNA (RT-PCR method). Risk factors for the infection were thoroughly analysed on the base of questionnaires.


RESULTS
It was established that in 55 (88.7%) children high probability of infection existed in connection with past hospitalization and applied diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, such as: transfusion of blood and its preparations (24.19%), surgical procedures (22.58%), hospital treatment without invasive procedures and blood transfusions (19.35%). Familial exposure was a risk factor in 4.84% of cases, while in 6.45% of cases there were no burdens in the history.


CONCLUSIONS
1. In the evaluated group of children HCV infection was iatrogenic in character in majority of cases. 2. Hospitalization, even without invasive procedures, may be an important risk factor for HCV infection. 3. Familial exposure seems to be of secondary importance in transmission of HCV infection.
Stolarz
W
W
Silesian Medical University, Katowice. goska@rojca.net
Mossor
K
K
Kepa
L
L
Warakomska
I
I
Dziambor
A
A
Oczko-Grzesik
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D008297:Male; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors