Strehlow Aaron J, Robertson Marjorie J, Zerger Suzanne, Rongey Catherine, Arangua Lisa, Farrell Ed, O'Sullivan Adele, Gelberg Lillian
UCLA School of Nursing, USA.
J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2012 May;23(2):811-33. doi: 10.1353/hpu.2012.0047.
To describe the prevalence, distribution and risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among homeless adults using eight Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) clinics nationally.
Data were collected for 387 participants through blood draws, structured interviews, chart reviews.
Overall prevalence of HCV-antibody positivity was 31.0%, including 70.0% among injection drug users and 15.5% among reported non-injectors. Much HCV infection was hidden as the majority (53.3%) of HCV-antibody positive participants was unaware of their status. Independent risk factors for HCV among the total sample included injection drug use, prison, and tattoos; among injectors, risk factors included prison and three or more years of injection drug use; among reported non-injectors, risk factors included tattoos and prison.
These HCH clinics serve high concentrations of HCV-infected injectors, making these and similar clinics priority intervention sites for aggressive screening, education, testing, and treatment for HCV and other blood-borne diseases.
利用全国八家为无家可归者提供医疗服务(HCH)的诊所,描述无家可归成年人丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)感染的患病率、分布情况及危险因素。
通过采血、结构化访谈、病历审查收集了387名参与者的数据。
HCV抗体阳性的总体患病率为31.0%,其中注射吸毒者中为70.0%,报告的非注射吸毒者中为15.5%。由于大多数(53.3%)HCV抗体阳性参与者不知道自己的感染状况,许多HCV感染处于隐匿状态。总样本中HCV的独立危险因素包括注射吸毒、入狱和纹身;在注射吸毒者中,危险因素包括入狱和三年或更长时间的注射吸毒;在报告的非注射吸毒者中,危险因素包括纹身和入狱。
这些HCH诊所服务于大量HCV感染的注射吸毒者,使这些诊所及类似诊所成为积极开展HCV和其他血源性疾病筛查、教育、检测及治疗的优先干预场所。