The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are approximately 3.2 million people in the United States infected with hepatitis C and a significant percentage of these patients are unaware of their diagnosis. This study will attempt to determine the point prevalence of undiagnosed hepatitis C infection in an urban hospital population. All patients admitted to the hospital on two separate days will have hepatitis C testing done on leftover serum and plasma that was collected as part of routine inpatient lab work. Our primary goal is to determine the number of undiagnosed hepatitis C infected patients in our hospitalized population. We will also compare these rates to specific demographic characteristics, such as age, race, gender, zip code and type of insurance to see if any associations exist between these demographics and undiagnosed hepatitis C infection.
De-identified study of Hepatitis C infection point prevalence in the inpatient setting of an inner city hospital.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
366
This is an observational only, nonintervention study. There will be no patient contact. This was a de-identified point prevalence study of hepatitis C infection in hospitalized patients in an inner city hospital.
Temple University Hospital
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Point Prevalence of Hepatitis C Infection
The point prevalence of hepatitis C infection in our hospitalized patients will be measured on a single day. All leftover plasma/serum samples will be de-identified and tested for hepatitis C antibody and if antibody positive will be tested for hepatitis C polymerase chain reaction. Results reported as percentage of subjects who are viremic.
Time frame: Single 24 hour period
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