National Estimates of Healthcare Utilization by Individuals With Hepatitis C Virus Infection in the United States

Abstract

Individuals with HCV infection are large users of outpatient, ED, and inpatient health services. Resource use is highest and increasing in the baby boomer generation. These observations illuminate the public health burden of HCV infection in the United States.

Results of a Rapid Hepatitis C Virus Screening and Diagnostic Testing Program in an Urban Emergency Department

“…5 Urban emergency departments (EDs) may play an important role as safety net providers for hepatitis C virus screening because many of the 3 million Americans infected with the virus are unaware of their status, and studies have shown high rates of ED utilization among this population. 1,[6][7][8] Until recently, however, recommendations for hepatitis C virus screening have been impractical for EDs. With advances in rapid hepatitis C virus testing technology, the development of new therapies that can halt disease progression and provide virologic cure, and health care reform that provides reimbursement for selective screening, there has been a renewed movement supporting hepatitis C virus screening in a variety of health care…”

12 weeks of interferon-based therapy is feasible in patients with hepatitis C-related cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia: A post hoc analysis of eltrombopag studies

“…Although new, all-oral IFN-free, direct antiviral agents are considered efficacious in the vast majority of HCV-infected patients, SVR data obtained in studies carried out in subjects with advanced liver disease are scanty [9,10]. Furthermore, these new antiviral agents was described to be of limited efficacy in cirrhotic patients infected by HCV genotype 3, still widespread worldwide and, as recently reported, at the highest risk of poor outcome [7,[10][11][12][13]. Conversely, IFN combined with a short (12-week) course of sofosbuvir still represents to-date the most efficacious option to cure HCV genotype 3 patients with compensated cirrhosis who previously failed a full course of IFN [14][15][16].…”

“…A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 7 The comparison of occurrence of liver-related events according to baseline Albumin levels and treatment received is summarized in Table 5. In the sub-group of patients with Albumin ≤35 g/L , patients treated with triple therapy experienced a higher rate of liverrelated events (17.1% vs. 7.9%, p 0.01), while no differences were found in subjects with higher Albumin levels.…”

“…Currently 12 weeks of IFNbased therapy in combination with sofosbuvir is recommended for cirrhotic patients infected by genotype 3 who represents a large share of HCV-infected patients in Western countries and India [6][7]28].…”

“…However, poor tolerance and the limited number of patients who are eligible for IFN regimens limits effective treatment for chronic HCV infection [6,7].…”