A prospective study of hepatitis C virus infection after needlestick accidents (original) (raw)

Risk of Transmission and Features of Hepatitis C After Needlestick Injuries •

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 1999

The rate of transmission and management of needlestick injuries from hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients to healthcare workers is still a matter of debate. We used a stringent protocol using monthly transaminase levels and polymerase chain reaction for HCV RNA to monitor 53 healthcare workers prospectively for up to 6 months following needle injuries from HCV-positive patients. Evidence of transmission of HCV was found in only 2 workers (4%) with mild asymptomatic infection, one of which resolved spontaneously. Based on our experience, we now use a less-intensive follow-up protocol. Further investigation is required to determine the most cost-effective method to monitor individuals who suffer a needlestick injury from an HCV-positive patient.

Acute hepatitis C virus infection in a nurse trainee following a needlestick injury

World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2013

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection after biological accident (needlestick injury) is a rare event. This report describes the first case of acute HCV infection after a needlestick injury in a female nursing student at Padua University Hospital. The student nurse was injured on the second finger of the right hand when recapping a 23-gauge needle after taking a blood sample. The patient who was the source was a 72-year-old female with weakly positive anti-HCV test results. Three months after the injury, at the second step of followup, a relevant increase in transaminases with a low viral replication activity (350 IU/mL) was observed in the student, indicating HCV infection. The patient tested positive for the same genotype (1b) of HCV as the injured student. A rapid decline in transaminases, which was not accompanied by viral clearance, and persistently positive HCV-RNA was described 1 mo later. Six months after testing positive for HCV, the student was treated with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin for 24 wk. A rapid virological response was observed after 4 wk of treatment, and a sustained virological response (SVR) was evident 6 mo after therapy withdrawal, confirming that the patient was definitively cured. Despite the favourable IL28B gene (rs12979860) CC-polymorphism observed in the patient, which is usually predictive of a spontaneous clearance and SVR, spontaneous viral clearance did not take place; however, infection with this genotype was promising for a sustained virological response after therapy.

Acute hepatitis C transmitted by needlestick accident despite short duration interferon treatment

Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 1995

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission by needlestick accidents involving hospital employees has become an important problem. The present report is of a case of acute hepatitis C that developed after a needlestick injury, despite short duration interferon treatment performed just after the accident in a trial effort to prevent HCV transmission. Nosocomial infection of HCV in medical employees is reviewed, and the current prospects for protecting them from HCV transmission after needlestick accident are discussed.

Risk of needle-stick injuries in the transmission of hepatitis C virus in hospital personnel

Journal of Hepatology, 1992

To assess the risk to hospital personnel of acquiring an hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection as a result of occupational exposure to needle-stick injuries, 81 employees who had parenteral exposure to an anti-HCVpositive source were followed for 12 months. None developed hepatitis and anti-HCV testing by a second-generation ELISA system of serum samples collected on the day of exposure and at 3, 6 and 12 months was negative. Consequently, a low efficacy of needle-stick injuries in the transmission of HCV in hospital personnel may be suggested.

Needlestick accident resulting in occupational transmission of HCV: report of two cases

Clinical & Biomedical Research, 2015

Occupational transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) through needlestick injury is a serious problem worldwide. Occupational transmission of HCV is estimated at an average rate between 0.5% and 0.75%. There are factors associated with increased risk of transmission, such as deep injuries, procedures involving hollow-bore needle placement in the source patient's vein or artery, and high HCV RNA titer in the source patient. We describe two cases of HCV seroconversion in nursing assistants after different risk needlestick injuries.

Management of healthcare workers after occupational exposure to hepatitis C virus

The Medical journal of Australia, 2003

The increasing rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the community means that there is increased risk of occupational exposure for healthcare workers. In metropolitan hospitals in Victoria, we found that 80-150 healthcare workers have occupational exposures from HCV-infected patients annually. As there is a 1.8%-3% risk of transmission of HCV from a needlestick injury, two to five healthcare workers are likely to acquire HCV each year in Victoria. These needlestick injuries pose a personal, legal and professional risk to healthcare workers and their patients. Recent information shows that early antiviral treatment of acute HCV infection has high cure rates. Current local and international protocols for management of healthcare workers exposed to HCV do not address these issues. We propose a management protocol after needlestick injury that is stratified according to the likelihood of HCV acquisition and potential risk of staff-to-patient transmission, and that is consistent w...

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Health Care Workers

Journal of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons, 2007

Hepatitis C virus infection continues to be a major disease burden all over the world. In 1999, WHO estimated a worldwide prevalence of about 3% with HCV affecting 170 million people worldwide. 1 In Asia the figure is 0.3%, in China the figure ranges from 0.5%-0.8%. 2 However, there is considerable geographical variation in the incidence and prevalence of HCV infection. Much of the variability between regions can be explained by the frequency and extent to which the risk-factors involved, drug use accounting for 60-80%, 2-5 transfusion and transplants 5-13%, 6 unsafe injection, other health care related procedure 2-18%, 7 occupational exposure 0-7% and perinatal transmission 0-40%. Generally, most studies of prevalence use blood donors to report frequency of HCV usually by anti-HCV antibodies and do not report follow up HCV testing. Incidence of HCV seroconversion after accidental needle stick exposure is uncertain, with reports ranging from 0-10%. 12-15 Whether health care workers have a higher prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection through percutaneous occupational exposure than the general population is unclear. This study was done to estimate seroprevalence of HCV infection amongst health care workers and identify possible risk factors of HCV infection.

FREQUENCY OF ACUTE HEPATITIS C AFTER NEEDLE STICK INJURY AND ITS TREATMENT OUTCOME

2009

Objective: To determine the frequency of acute HCV infection after needle stick injury and its treatment outcome. Methodology: Patients with HCV positive needle stick injury and reporting within 72 hours of incident were selected. Co-infections with HBV, HDV, HIV, hematological disorders and depression were excluded. Anti-HCV was done at presentation and those testing positive were excluded. HCV RNA was done after two weeks or anti-HCV after six weeks of incident. Those testing positive were kept under observation for 16 weeks for spontaneous resolution. After this period HCV RNA and Genotype were done and therapy with Peg-interferon was started. Rapid, early and sustained virological responses were checked. Results: Two hundred eight patients with HCV positive needle stick injury were selected, 10 (4.8%) developed acute HCV infection out of them one (10%) had spontaneous recovery during the observation period of 16 weeks. seven (77.8%) achieved rapid virological response and eight (88.9%) achieved sustained virological response. Conclusions: Acute HCV is an uncommon disease to diagnose; it has favorable response to therapy if initiated early after a strict surveillance of patients for 8-16 weeks.