title: Risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection in the Colombian Caribbean coast: A case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An estimated 6.8-8.9 million people are infected with hepatitis C virus in Latin America, of which less than 1% receives antiviral treatment. Studies so far in Colombia have attempted to determine the prevalence of the disease in some risk groups, thus preventing the identification of other factors potentially involved in the spread of the infection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify traditional and non-traditional risk factors for chronic hepatitis C in the Colombian Caribbean coast.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a case-control study (1:3) matched by health care provider and age (± 10 years) conducted at the primary care level of gastroenterology and hepatology outpatient services. All patients with a positive ELISA underwent a confirmatory viral load test. A multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the independent predictors of infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood transfusion (OR=159.2; 95% CI: 35.4-715; p<0.001) and history of hospitalization before 1994 (OR=4.7; 95% CI: 1.3-17.1; p=0.018) were identified as the only two independent predictors of infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is necessary to check the reproducibility of these results and to conduct cost-effectiveness studies before recommending their use in the design of new screening strategies.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia Pharos Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas de la Costa, Cartagena, Colombia. ismayep@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ismael de Jesús
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Yepes
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lince
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caez
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Vuono
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005762:Gastroenterology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission
keywords: Caribbean region; Colombia; Hepatitis C; blood transfusion; case studies; risk factors