Evaluation of Treatment Requirements and Treatment Receiving Status of Anti-HCV Positive Patients

Introduction: Chronic viral hepatitis C infection virus (HCV) continues to be a serious health problem all over the world. At the same time, it is known that there are serious deficiencies in the diagnosis and treatment of HCV patients. In this study, our objective was to assess the treatment status and treatment outcomes of patients who tested positive for anti-HCV at our hospital. Materials and Methods: In our study, we retrospectively evaluated the anti-HCV test results of serum samples that were sent to the microbiology laboratory between January 2021 and April 2022. Furthermore, HCV-RNA PCR results of individuals who tested positive for anti-HCV were examined and those who tested negative were identified. Among the patients who tested positive on PCR, we distinguished between those who received HCV treatment and those who did not. Patients who did not receive treatment were contacted by phone using their registered phone numbers in the system and were invited to the infectious diseases polyclinic for further evaluation. Results: In our study, anti-HCV tests were conducted on a total of 83.129 patients. The results revealed that 617 patients (0.7%) tested positive for anti-HCV. The average age of these patients was 55.83 ± 10.30 years (ranging from 18 to 93). Of these patients, 289 (46%) were male and 328 (54%) were female. HCV-RNA PCR tests were performed on 249 (40%) of the anti-HCV positive patients, 58 (23%) of whom tested positive for PCR, while 191 (77%) tested negative. However, PCR tests were not performed in 368 (60%) of the anti-HCV-positive patients. It was determined that oral antiviral treatment was started in 26 patients with positive PCR results and a sustained viral response developed in all of these patients. We attempted to find the contact information of the 32 patients who tested positive on PCR but did not initiate treatment on the patient registration system. Those who could be contacted were invited to the infectious diseases and clinical microbiology polyclinic for treatment initiation. Conclusion: The findings of our study have revealed significant deficiencies in the diagnosis of HCV infection within our region and the subsequent referral of patients to appropriate physicians for treatment planning. It has become evident that there is a pressing need for the development of targeted initiatives aimed at enhancing the awareness and knowledge of healthcare personnel and patients alike, in order to promptly identify these individuals and provide them with the necessary treatments.