[Epidemiologic multicenter study of the prevalence of hepatitis in hospitalised immigrants in Italy in the year 2002].
OBJECTIVE
To retrospectively evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis in immigrant patients hospitalised in 48 Italian Operative Unit of Infectious Diseases during 2002.


METHODS
in our study we included the clinical data of 2255 immigrated patients hospitalised, during the period between 01/01/2002-31/12/2002, in ordinary admission or in Day Hospital in Infectious Diseases O.U. and we have evaluated the prevalence of hepatitis in this population.


RESULTS
282 patients affected by hepatitis has been evidenced (12.5% of total hospitalised patients). The prevalent form was HBV-related (41.6% in chronic forms and 48.4% in acute), while the rate for HCV were less (37.5% in chronic and 3% in acute). The most part of patient were men (59.6%), with a mean age of 34.2 years and come from east-European countries (34.39%).


CONCLUSIONS
Viral hepatitis are the third infectious diseases evidenced in immigrated population. HBV-chronic hepatitis is the prevalent form in immigrated patients, as expression of absence of vaccine prophylaxis in many countries. HCV-form was less frequent and it is particularly presents in east-European patients, probably as expression of endogenous drug abuse.
Scotto
G
G
SIMIT Società Italiana di Malattie Infettive e Tropicali), Commissione per lo studio delle malattie infettive negli immigrati. g.scotto@medicina.unifg.it
Saracino
A
A
Pempinello
R
R
El Hamad
I
I
Geraci
S
S
Palumbo
E
E
Cibelli
D C
DC
Angarano
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies