Hepatic and extra-hepatic sequelae, and prevalence of viral hepatitis C infection estimated from routine data in at-risk groups.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Concerns about the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are due to the high risk of chronic liver disease and poor treatment efficacy. Synthesizing evidence from multiple data sources is becoming widely used to estimate HCV-infection prevalence. This paper aims to estimate the prevalence of HCV infection, and the hepatic and extrahepatic sequelae in at-risk groups, using routinely collected data in the Lazio region, Italy.

Methods

HCV laboratory surveillance and dialysis, hospital discharge, and drug-user registers were used as information sources to identify at-risk groups and to estimate HCV prevalence and sequelae.Full name and birth date were used as linkage keys for the various health registries. Prevalence was estimated as the percentage of cases within the general popul

SUBMITTER: Faustini A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2867994 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature