Doctors Collecting Information on Hepatitis Drug

[Guest guest]

CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update 01/04/2006

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

NORTH DAKOTA: " Doctors Collecting Information on Hepatitis Drug "

Associated Press (12.27.05)

A team of Bismarck doctors are using data from medical charts to analyze the

treatment of North Dakota prisoners infected with hepatitis C. Drs. Jeff

Hostetter, Kent , Hagan and Olimpia Rauta will eventually present

the information to CDC.

Methamphetamine, which is linked to needle-sharing by drug users, is being

blamed for a rise in hepatitis C cases. In 2000, Hostetter said 10 percent

of inmates in the North Dakota State Penitentiary were meth users. That

number rose to 62 percent in 2005. " People who use meth have high-risk

behavior, " explained Hostetter. " When they're tweaked out on meth, they

don't care about having clean needles. "

and Hagan have been treating hepatitis C-infected inmates with

consensus interferon, a drug that is less expensive and has fewer side

effects than the more common treatment. However, consensus interferon must

be administered three times a week, which proves difficult from some

patients. " They forget or just don't come in for the shot. It's not

effective if they don't get them, " said Hostetter.

According to Hostetter, inserting a pump to deliver consensus interferon is

an option for ensuring timely dosing. Another option is having public health

officials give the injections to make sure patients receive them on time.

_________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update 01/04/2006

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

NORTH DAKOTA: " Doctors Collecting Information on Hepatitis Drug "

Associated Press (12.27.05)

A team of Bismarck doctors are using data from medical charts to analyze the

treatment of North Dakota prisoners infected with hepatitis C. Drs. Jeff

Hostetter, Kent , Hagan and Olimpia Rauta will eventually present

the information to CDC.

Methamphetamine, which is linked to needle-sharing by drug users, is being

blamed for a rise in hepatitis C cases. In 2000, Hostetter said 10 percent

of inmates in the North Dakota State Penitentiary were meth users. That

number rose to 62 percent in 2005. " People who use meth have high-risk

behavior, " explained Hostetter. " When they're tweaked out on meth, they

don't care about having clean needles. "

and Hagan have been treating hepatitis C-infected inmates with

consensus interferon, a drug that is less expensive and has fewer side

effects than the more common treatment. However, consensus interferon must

be administered three times a week, which proves difficult from some

patients. " They forget or just don't come in for the shot. It's not

effective if they don't get them, " said Hostetter.

According to Hostetter, inserting a pump to deliver consensus interferon is

an option for ensuring timely dosing. Another option is having public health

officials give the injections to make sure patients receive them on time.

_________________________________________________________________

Don’t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!

http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/

[Guest guest]

CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update 01/04/2006

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

NORTH DAKOTA: " Doctors Collecting Information on Hepatitis Drug "

Associated Press (12.27.05)

A team of Bismarck doctors are using data from medical charts to analyze the

treatment of North Dakota prisoners infected with hepatitis C. Drs. Jeff

Hostetter, Kent , Hagan and Olimpia Rauta will eventually present

the information to CDC.

Methamphetamine, which is linked to needle-sharing by drug users, is being

blamed for a rise in hepatitis C cases. In 2000, Hostetter said 10 percent

of inmates in the North Dakota State Penitentiary were meth users. That

number rose to 62 percent in 2005. " People who use meth have high-risk

behavior, " explained Hostetter. " When they're tweaked out on meth, they

don't care about having clean needles. "

and Hagan have been treating hepatitis C-infected inmates with

consensus interferon, a drug that is less expensive and has fewer side

effects than the more common treatment. However, consensus interferon must

be administered three times a week, which proves difficult from some

patients. " They forget or just don't come in for the shot. It's not

effective if they don't get them, " said Hostetter.

According to Hostetter, inserting a pump to deliver consensus interferon is

an option for ensuring timely dosing. Another option is having public health

officials give the injections to make sure patients receive them on time.

_________________________________________________________________

Don’t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!

http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/

[Guest guest]

CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update 01/04/2006

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

NORTH DAKOTA: " Doctors Collecting Information on Hepatitis Drug "

Associated Press (12.27.05)

A team of Bismarck doctors are using data from medical charts to analyze the

treatment of North Dakota prisoners infected with hepatitis C. Drs. Jeff

Hostetter, Kent , Hagan and Olimpia Rauta will eventually present

the information to CDC.

Methamphetamine, which is linked to needle-sharing by drug users, is being

blamed for a rise in hepatitis C cases. In 2000, Hostetter said 10 percent

of inmates in the North Dakota State Penitentiary were meth users. That

number rose to 62 percent in 2005. " People who use meth have high-risk

behavior, " explained Hostetter. " When they're tweaked out on meth, they

don't care about having clean needles. "

and Hagan have been treating hepatitis C-infected inmates with

consensus interferon, a drug that is less expensive and has fewer side

effects than the more common treatment. However, consensus interferon must

be administered three times a week, which proves difficult from some

patients. " They forget or just don't come in for the shot. It's not

effective if they don't get them, " said Hostetter.

According to Hostetter, inserting a pump to deliver consensus interferon is

an option for ensuring timely dosing. Another option is having public health

officials give the injections to make sure patients receive them on time.

_________________________________________________________________

Don’t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!

http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/