Outcome of Hepatitis C Patients Treated With Sofosbuvir/daclatasvir in the Hepatitis Clinic at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, September 2022 -September 2023
Introduction
Before July 2022 hepatitis C treatment was not available in Guyana. On July 28th, 2022, the Ministry of Health of Guyana in collaboration with PAHO launched Guyana’s National Hepatitis C program, a pioneer health project to treat patients affected with Hepatitis C free of cost with direct acting anti-viral agents.
Objectives
To determine the demographics of patients infected with hepatitis C enrolled in the clinic and their response to treatment using direct-acting antiviral agents.
Method
This will be a retrospective chart review of all patients enrolled in the hepatitis C clinic during the study period. Relevant data needed to complete the research were extracted from patients’ charts, entered into a specially designed, protected Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet and analyzed to meet the objectives outlined above.
Results
Forty-eight patients had a positive Hepatitis C antibody and viral load, 58% being males and 42% being females with a mean age of 52.8. Geographically, 37.6% of the patients were from region 2, while 37.5% from region 4. Treatment was initiated on forty-two patients while six patients will be initiated at the next visit. Twenty-nine patients completed treatment at the end of the study period, 11 were still on treatment while two defaulted. Twenty of the twenty-nine patients who completed treatment had a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after completing treatment while five are pending to be done at the end of the study period representing 83% sustained virologic response of the twenty-four patients who completed treatment and had post viral load testing done.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that the treatment regimen is effective at treating chronic HCV This research serves to provide data for prospective studies on HCV in Guyana and the Caribbean.
Recommendations
Decentralization of the Hepatitis Clinic, increased screening measures with more access to care.