INCIDENCE OF HEPATITIS VIRUS AND TRANSMISSION RISK FACTORS IN HEMODIALYSIS CENTERS
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Abstract
Background: One of the main risk factors for an outbreak of viral hepatitis is hemodialysis (HD). Among various risk categories, individuals receiving dialysis therapy had one of the highest prevalence of antibodies to viral hepatitis. Individuals with end-stage renal disease, in particular, are more likely to pass away from chronic kidney disease (CKD). Remarkably, half of these deaths are attributable to cardiovascular disease; this high death rate pushes us to find other risk factors that we may change to increase survival for dialysis patients. Chronic hepatitis virus infection has been linked to other comorbidities outside of liver disease, including kidney failure.
Objective: To estimate the hepatitis incidence in hemodialysis units and assess the risk factors contributing to viral hepatitis infection among hemodialysis adult patients.
Materials and Methods: cross-sectional study design conducted in the Iraqi city of Najaf, dialysis centers, March 2023. Information was collected through an interview questionnaire to measure the incidence of viral hepatitis among adult dialysis patients and risk factors for viral hepatitis in dialysis centers.
Results: 100 patients undergoing dialysis treatment participated in the current study. Their ages ranged from 20-78 years. The group of participants (50-59 years old) constituted approximately one-third of the total sample, and the percentage of females was the largest. The incidence of viral hepatitis was 10%. Among adult patients undergoing dialysis treatment, hepatitis C virus infection is the majority, so nurses working in dialysis centers can identify and control factors that favor the transmission of hepatitis C virus.