Diagnoses of, and deaths from, severe liver disease due to hepatitis C in England between 2000 and 2005 estimated using multiple data sources.
Matching individuals reported to a sentinel surveillance scheme for hepatitis C between 2000 and 2005 to individuals with a hospital episode for hepatitis C-related liver disease in the same hospitals, we estimated that the number of cases of hepatitis C-related end-stage liver disease in these English hospitals was 42% (597/419) higher than Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) would indicate. Further, matching records of hepatitis C-related deaths in HES to death certificates, we estimated that, between 2000 and 2005, the true number of deaths from hepatitis C-related end-stage liver disease was between 185% (353/124) and 257% (378/106) higher than the number recorded in routine mortality statistics. We provide estimates of under-recording that can be used to modify existing models of disease burden due to hepatitis C and provide a simple approach to improve the monitoring of trends in severe hepatitis C-related morbidity over time.
Mann
A G
AG
Immunisation Department, Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, London, UK. andrea.mann@lshtm.ac.uk
Ramsay
M E
ME
Brant
L J
LJ
Balogun
M A
MA
Costella
A
A
Harris
H E
HE
D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D013997:Time Factors