Outcome of Hepatitis C Patients Treated with Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir in the Hepatitis Clinic at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation September 2022 - September 2023
Abstract:
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.
Study Goals and 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.
Methodology: 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. Twenty-nine patients completed treatment at the end of the study period, 11 were still on treatment while two defaulted. Twenty patients who completed treatment had a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after completing treatment, representing 83% sustained virologic response.
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.
