Resumen

LEON-RABANAL, Cristian; CIEZA-ZEVALLOS, Javier  y  CIEZA-CUSATO, Roberto. The critical mass of patients infected as a risk factor for hepatitis C seroconversion in hemodialysis. Rev Med Hered [online]. 2015, vol.26, n.2, pp.71-75. ISSN 1018-130X.

Patients on chronic hemodialysis have incremented risk of getting hepatitis C. Objective: To determine factors associated with hepatitis C seroconversion among patients attending a hemodialysis unit in Lima. Methods: All positive results for hepatitis C were reviewed from January 2001 to December 2008 in a private hemodialysis unit in Lima. Age, gender, etiology of chronic renal disease and time in years of exposure to dialysis for every year of the study period were retrieved from patient´s charts. Pearson´s correlation coefficient and multivariate linear regression analysis were performed to correlate variables of interest with seroconversion rates. Results: the incidence of seroconversion steadily decreased over time and correlated only with the mass of patients infected (r=0,889, p=0,007). Patients who seroconverted had higher mortality rates than non-infected patients [RR:2,86 (95%CI: 1,14-7,13). Conclusions: The number of hepatitis C infected patients attended in the center correlated with seroconversion and the latter correlated with excess mortality, despite of following biosafety standards and having an infected/non-infected ratio of hepatitis C of 0.6. It should be pointed-out that migration of patients among hemodialysis units in countries with high hepatitis C prevalence should be discouraged.

Palabras clave : Renal dialysis; hepatitis C; infection.

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