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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Marievelisse Soto¹, Cynthia M. Pérez, PhD, MS¹, Erick Suárez, PhD, MS¹, Esther Torres, MD², and Rafael Burgos, MD². (1) Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Puerto Rico, Graduate School of Public Health, P.O. Box 365067, San Juan, PR 00936-5067, 787-758-2525, masoto@stu.rcm.upr.edu, (2) Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, PO BOX 365067, San Juan, 00936-5067

Background: Limited information about the epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is available in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients in Puerto Rico. We determined the prevalence of HCV infection and assessed the associated characteristics in HD patients in eight dialysis centers.

Methods: A systematic sampling design was employed to select a sample of HD patients 21 years and older during 2005. A total of 111 (81.6%) of 136 patients completed a face to face interview to gather data on demographics and self-reported risk behaviors followed by a clinical record review. Variables that were marginally or significantly associated with HCV prevalence (p<0.10) in the bivariate analyses were considered for inclusion into the multiple logistic regression model to estimate the adjusted prevalence odds ratio (POR).

Results: Prevalence of HCV infection was 3.9% (95% CI: 2.6%-5.7%). Bivariate analysis revealed that age ≤60 years (POR=3.65, p=0.05), blood transfusions prior to 1992 (POR=5.13, p=0.05), tattooing practices (POR=13.3, p=0.04), and illegal drug use (POR=4.5, p=0.01) were associated with HCV infection. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that history of blood transfusion prior to 1992 (POR=11.05; IC 95%: 1.15-105.68) and age ≤60 years (POR=5.40; IC 95%: 0.94-30.99) remained significantly associated with HCV infection after adjusting for tattooing practices, illegal drug use and dialysis centers.

Conclusions: The prevalence observed in this study is lower that reported by the 2002 National Surveillance of Dialysis-Associated Diseases (5.5%-9.8%). The findings underscore the need for decreasing the spread of HCV in Puerto Rico.

Learning Objectives:

• 1)Determine the prevalence of HCV infection in chronic hemodialysis patients in a sample of dialysis centers.
• 2)Determine the factors associated with the prevalence of HCV infection in chronic hemodialysis patients in a sample of dialysis centers.

Keywords: Hepatitis C, Chronic Diseases

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.ppt format, 191.5 kb)