title: Health-related quality of life among blood donors with hepatitis B and hepatitis C: longitudinal study before and after diagnosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is evidence that patients suffering from chronic hepatic diseases, including chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C, have a reduced health-related quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the notification of test results for hepatitis B and hepatitis C on the quality of life of blood donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a 29-month period, this study assessed the quality of life of 105 blood donors with positive serological screening tests for hepatitis B and hepatitis C and donors who presented false-positive test results. The Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire was applied at three time points: (1) when an additional blood sample was collected for confirmatory tests; (2) when donors were notified about their serological status; and (3) when donors, positive for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, started clinical follow-up. Quality of life scores for the confirmed hepatitis B and hepatitis C groups were compared to the false-positive control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The domains bodily pain, general health perception, social function, and mental health and the physical component improved significantly in donors with hepatitis C from Time Point 1 to Time Point 3. Health-related quality of life scores of donors diagnosed with hepatitis B and hepatitis C were significantly lower in six and four of the eight domains, respectively, compared to the false-positive control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A decreased quality of life was detected before and after diagnosis in blood donors with hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Contrary to hepatitis B positive donors, the possibility of medical care may have improved the quality of life among hepatitis C positive donors.
authors.affiliation: Fundação Pró-Sangue, Hemocentro de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: porto-ferreira@uol.com.br.
authors.forename: Francisco Augusto Porto
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Fundação Pró-Sangue, Hemocentro de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Almeida-Neto
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina Dias
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Strauss
keywords: Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; Quality of life