Hepatitis C tested prevalence and comorbidities among veterans in the US Northwest

[Guest guest]

J Clin Gastroenterol. 2004 Mar;38(3):279-84.

Hepatitis C tested prevalence and comorbidities among veterans in the US

Northwest.

Sloan KL, Straits-Troster KA, Dominitz JA, Kivlahan DR.

Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Mental Health Service and

the Addictions Treatment Center, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.

.Sloan@...

GOALS: (1) Investigate the epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection among

patients seen in the Veterans Administration Northwest Network; (2) examine

time trends in testing practices and results; and (3) estimate the

prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among active patients. BACKGROUND:

Hepatitis C virus infection causes chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis and is a

leading cause of end-stage liver disease. Hepatitis C virus antibodies are

estimated to be present in 1.8% of the US population, but reports of its

prevalence among US veterans range from 1.7 to 35%. STUDY: Retrospective

review of computerized medical records of veterans tested for hepatitis C

from October 1994 through December 2000 (n = 37,938) at 8 Northwest Veterans

Administration Medical Centers. RESULTS: Among tested veterans, 8230 (21.7%)

had evidence of hepatitis C virus infection. The number of patients tested

increased annually from 2335 to 18,191, while the proportion with first-time

positive hepatitis C test results decreased from 35 to 10%. This drop in

tested prevalence was associated with a shift away from testing individuals

at highest risk--those with positive hepatitis B serostatus, repeatedly

elevated alanine transaminase levels, and drug use disorder diagnoses. We

estimate that 11.4% of the Northwest Network veteran users are hepatitis C

virus seropositive, with a lower bound of 4.0% and upper bound of 19.5%.

CONCLUSIONS: Although estimates of hepatitis C virus infection rates among

veteran users of the Veterans Administration system remain higher than those

for the general population, changes in testing practice make generalizations

from earlier studies hazardous.

PMID: 15128077 [PubMed]

[Guest guest]

J Clin Gastroenterol. 2004 Mar;38(3):279-84.

Hepatitis C tested prevalence and comorbidities among veterans in the US

Northwest.

Sloan KL, Straits-Troster KA, Dominitz JA, Kivlahan DR.

Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Mental Health Service and

the Addictions Treatment Center, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.

.Sloan@...

GOALS: (1) Investigate the epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection among

patients seen in the Veterans Administration Northwest Network; (2) examine

time trends in testing practices and results; and (3) estimate the

prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among active patients. BACKGROUND:

Hepatitis C virus infection causes chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis and is a

leading cause of end-stage liver disease. Hepatitis C virus antibodies are

estimated to be present in 1.8% of the US population, but reports of its

prevalence among US veterans range from 1.7 to 35%. STUDY: Retrospective

review of computerized medical records of veterans tested for hepatitis C

from October 1994 through December 2000 (n = 37,938) at 8 Northwest Veterans

Administration Medical Centers. RESULTS: Among tested veterans, 8230 (21.7%)

had evidence of hepatitis C virus infection. The number of patients tested

increased annually from 2335 to 18,191, while the proportion with first-time

positive hepatitis C test results decreased from 35 to 10%. This drop in

tested prevalence was associated with a shift away from testing individuals

at highest risk--those with positive hepatitis B serostatus, repeatedly

elevated alanine transaminase levels, and drug use disorder diagnoses. We

estimate that 11.4% of the Northwest Network veteran users are hepatitis C

virus seropositive, with a lower bound of 4.0% and upper bound of 19.5%.

CONCLUSIONS: Although estimates of hepatitis C virus infection rates among

veteran users of the Veterans Administration system remain higher than those

for the general population, changes in testing practice make generalizations

from earlier studies hazardous.

PMID: 15128077 [PubMed]

[Guest guest]

J Clin Gastroenterol. 2004 Mar;38(3):279-84.

Hepatitis C tested prevalence and comorbidities among veterans in the US

Northwest.

Sloan KL, Straits-Troster KA, Dominitz JA, Kivlahan DR.

Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Mental Health Service and

the Addictions Treatment Center, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.

.Sloan@...

GOALS: (1) Investigate the epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection among

patients seen in the Veterans Administration Northwest Network; (2) examine

time trends in testing practices and results; and (3) estimate the

prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among active patients. BACKGROUND:

Hepatitis C virus infection causes chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis and is a

leading cause of end-stage liver disease. Hepatitis C virus antibodies are

estimated to be present in 1.8% of the US population, but reports of its

prevalence among US veterans range from 1.7 to 35%. STUDY: Retrospective

review of computerized medical records of veterans tested for hepatitis C

from October 1994 through December 2000 (n = 37,938) at 8 Northwest Veterans

Administration Medical Centers. RESULTS: Among tested veterans, 8230 (21.7%)

had evidence of hepatitis C virus infection. The number of patients tested

increased annually from 2335 to 18,191, while the proportion with first-time

positive hepatitis C test results decreased from 35 to 10%. This drop in

tested prevalence was associated with a shift away from testing individuals

at highest risk--those with positive hepatitis B serostatus, repeatedly

elevated alanine transaminase levels, and drug use disorder diagnoses. We

estimate that 11.4% of the Northwest Network veteran users are hepatitis C

virus seropositive, with a lower bound of 4.0% and upper bound of 19.5%.

CONCLUSIONS: Although estimates of hepatitis C virus infection rates among

veteran users of the Veterans Administration system remain higher than those

for the general population, changes in testing practice make generalizations

from earlier studies hazardous.

PMID: 15128077 [PubMed]

[Guest guest]

J Clin Gastroenterol. 2004 Mar;38(3):279-84.

Hepatitis C tested prevalence and comorbidities among veterans in the US

Northwest.

Sloan KL, Straits-Troster KA, Dominitz JA, Kivlahan DR.

Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Mental Health Service and

the Addictions Treatment Center, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.

.Sloan@...

GOALS: (1) Investigate the epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection among

patients seen in the Veterans Administration Northwest Network; (2) examine

time trends in testing practices and results; and (3) estimate the

prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among active patients. BACKGROUND:

Hepatitis C virus infection causes chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis and is a

leading cause of end-stage liver disease. Hepatitis C virus antibodies are

estimated to be present in 1.8% of the US population, but reports of its

prevalence among US veterans range from 1.7 to 35%. STUDY: Retrospective

review of computerized medical records of veterans tested for hepatitis C

from October 1994 through December 2000 (n = 37,938) at 8 Northwest Veterans

Administration Medical Centers. RESULTS: Among tested veterans, 8230 (21.7%)

had evidence of hepatitis C virus infection. The number of patients tested

increased annually from 2335 to 18,191, while the proportion with first-time

positive hepatitis C test results decreased from 35 to 10%. This drop in

tested prevalence was associated with a shift away from testing individuals

at highest risk--those with positive hepatitis B serostatus, repeatedly

elevated alanine transaminase levels, and drug use disorder diagnoses. We

estimate that 11.4% of the Northwest Network veteran users are hepatitis C

virus seropositive, with a lower bound of 4.0% and upper bound of 19.5%.

CONCLUSIONS: Although estimates of hepatitis C virus infection rates among

veteran users of the Veterans Administration system remain higher than those

for the general population, changes in testing practice make generalizations

from earlier studies hazardous.

PMID: 15128077 [PubMed]