Haroon Khan, Noor Khan, Rauf Niazi, Tashfeen Adam, Abid Yaqoob.
Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C in Pakistanis visiting and admitted at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Islamabad.
J Surg Jan ;21-22:22-6.

A retrospective epidemiological study was carried out on 695 patients to determine the seroprevalence of Hepatitis C antibodies (HCV). The analysis was done at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on `Abbott` IMX analyzer using the Microenzymen immuno assay (MEIA). 372 patients had the test done as part of a screening programme, while 323 patients had the test done on suspicion of having a hepatic disorder. 14.5% of the patients in the screening programme were seropositive, compared with 28.7% of the patients who were suspected of a hepatitis disorder. This high rate of seropositivity highlights the need for implementing rigorous measures to control spread of this disease which is associated with a high morbidity and mortality, and presents a challenge to all health workers and administrators. CONCLUSION: It is therefore necessary that since that test is expensive, special funding should be provided to promote HCV screening at a national level. For such screening cost benefit analysis must be carried out and screening programme initiated at the earliest. This screening must involve blood banks to begin with and gradually extended to other specialties.

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