| ethics of screening for hepatitis c virus. | | 1989 | 2572933 |
| hepatitis virus infection and liver disease in injecting drug users who died suddenly. | to determine the extent of liver damage resulting from infection with hepatitis b, c and d viruses (hbv, hcv and hdv) in intravenous drug users (idus). | 1996 | 8813952 |
| the role of hepatitis c virus in the aetiology of non-hodgkins lymphoma--a regional association? | infection with the hepatitis c virus (hcv) has been aetiologically linked with the lymphoproliferative disorder mixed cryoglobulinaemia and more recently with certain subgroups of b cell non-hodgkin's lymphoma (nhl). many of the studies which have documented the association with nhl have originated from italy, where the background prevalence of infection with the virus is relatively high. we have performed a study, based in the west of scotland, to determine the prevalence of infection with hcv ... | 1997 | 9250797 |
| a lasting public health response to an outbreak of hiv infection in a scottish prison? | between april and june 1993, 8 cases of acute clinical hepatitis b infection and 2 seroconversions to hiv infection were detected among drug injecting inmates of hm prison glenochil in scotland. to prevent the further spread of infection, an initiative which involved counselling and voluntary attributable hiv testing was conducted over a 10-day period commencing at the end of june. a team of 18 counsellors and phlebotomists was brought together rapidly as part of a unique organizational exercise ... | 1998 | 9518011 |
| hepatitis c virus among genitourinary clinic attenders in scotland: unlinked anonymous testing. | our objective is to gauge the prevalence of hepatitis c virus (hcv) antibodies among a population at risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (stis) and, thus, the efficiency with which the virus is transmitted sexually. the investigators undertook an unlinked anonymous hcv antibody testing study of residual syphilis serology specimens taken from attenders of genitourinary clinics in glasgow, edinburgh and aberdeen during 1996/97. the results were linked to non-identifying risk inform ... | 2001 | 11177477 |
| audit of bloodborne virus infections in injecting drug users in general practice. | two hundred and ninety patients attending a single general practice in edinburgh were known to have used illegal drugs, 145 of whom were identified as past or present injectors. data on bloodborne virus infections and immunisation against hepatitis b virus (hbv) were gathered during 1998, attempts were made to improve the level of testing for bloodborne viruses and immunisation against hbv, and follow up was carried out between october 1999 and february 2000. one hundred and fifteen patients wer ... | 2000 | 11280250 |
| knowledge and attitudes of hospital staff to occupational exposure to bloodborne viruses. | in order to assess awareness of occupational risk of exposure to bloodborne viruses a questionnaire was sent to 245 health care workers, representing a 10% sample of employees with patient contact in a large teaching hospital in scotland, stratified by occupational group. one hundred and eight questionnaires (44%) were returned. seventy per cent of respondents in laboratory and clinical areas described themselves as having sufficient knowledge for their own area of practice, but many gave incorr ... | 2000 | 11280251 |
| hepatitis c virus among high and low risk pregnant women in dundee: unlinked anonymous testing. | to determine the prevalence of the hepatitis c virus among pregnant women, to gauge the non-injecting, particularly sexual, risk of them being hepatitis c virus infected and to assess the potential impact of selective antenatal screening. | 2001 | 11305542 |
| a method to detect the incidence of hepatitis c infection among injecting drug users in glasgow 1993-98. | to determine the incidence of hcv infection in a selected population of glasgow injectors during the mid-1990s, using a retrospective cohort design. | 2001 | 11798260 |
| prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis c virus, hiv and human t-cell leukaemia/lymphoma viruses in injecting drug users in tayside, scotland, 1993-7. | the prevalence of blood-borne viruses in injecting drug users (idus) in tayside, scotland was determined by testing serum samples from idus who underwent attributable hiv antibody testing during 1993-7. the prevalence of antibodies to hiv was 29/802, (3.6%); to hepatitis c virus (hcv) 451/691, (65.3%); and to human t-cell leukaemia/lymphoma viruses type 1 and 2 (htlv) 0/679, (0.0%). the prevalence of hiv and hcv antibodies were higher in subjects over the age of 25 (p = 0.03 and p = 0.001, respe ... | 2001 | 11293687 |
| acute hepatitis c virus seroconversion in a scottish blood donor: hcv antigen is not comparable with hcv nucleic acid amplification technology screening. | this study was conducted to analyse the usefulness of hepatitis c virus (hcv) core antigen tests for the confirmation of hcv infection in a donor presenting as nucleic acid amplification technology (nat) positive but negative for antibodies to hcv (anti-hcv). | 2004 | 14984555 |
| a study of hepatitis c prevalence in healthcare workers in the west of scotland. | whether healthcare workers have an increased prevalence of hepatitis c virus infection as a result of exposure to patient's blood and body fluids is controversial. this study assesses the prevalence of hepatitis c virus infection in healthcare workers, and its relation to the performance of exposure prone procedures and duration of occupational exposure, allowing an estimate to be made of the incidence of occupationally acquired hepatitis c infection among medical staff. | 2001 | 11115832 |
| haemophilia care in central scotland 1980-94. i. demographic characteristics, hospital admissions and causes of death. | to estimate the resources required to manage patients with haemophilia in scotland, we studied the demographic features, hospital admissions and causes of deaths for individuals with haemophilia a and b and von willebrand disease, treated with blood products, during the period 1980-94 living in central scotland. data were obtained from 413 adults and children (93% ascertainment). the age distribution in 1980 revealed a paucity of individuals over 60 years but the number in this age group increas ... | 2000 | 11012692 |
| prevalence of hepatitis c virus infection among injecting drug users in glasgow 1990-1996: are current harm reduction strategies working? | to determine the prevalence of hcv antibodies among injecting drug users and to gauge the effectiveness of needle/syringe exchange in preventing the transmission of hcv infection. | 2000 | 10841096 |
| microbiology confirmatory tests for blood donors. | blood donations collected in scotland are currently screened for the presence of hbsag, anti-hiv 1 + 2, anti-hcv and syphilis antibodies. approximately 1% of all donations are found to repeatedly react to one of these four markers on screening but very few represent true infection. these samples must be sent to the designated confirmatory laboratory whose main role is to identify the true positive amongst a sea of 'false positives'. a battery of tests is used for this purpose, usually applied in ... | 1999 | 10414945 |
| early mortality of undiagnosed but prevalent (in 1983-1984) hiv infection in lothian injectors who tested hepatitis b surface antigen positive (group a) or negative but were high risk for blood-borne virus transmission (group b) in 1983-1984. | to estimate the early death-rate in hiv infected injectors whose hiv infection was during the injection-related hiv outbreak in lothian region in scotland in 1983-1984, which was coincident with hepatitis b transmissions. | 1998 | 9821092 |
| hepatitis c virus antibody prevalence among injecting drug users in glasgow has fallen but remains high. | few data have been published on the prevalence of hepatitis c virus (hcv) among injecting drug users (idus) in the united kingdom. this study compares the prevalence of antibody against hcv (anti-hcv) among idus in glasgow in 1990 (when glasgow's needle/syringe exchange programme had become established) with that in 1995. serum left over from specimens taken for named hiv antibody testing was tested anonymously for anti-hcv. the prevalence of anti-hcv fell significantly between 1990 and 1995 amo ... | 1998 | 9644121 |
| sexual transmission of gb virus c/hepatitis g virus. | although it is established that infection with gb virus c (gbv-c) or hepatitis g virus (hgv) can be transmitted parenterally, the prevalence of gbv-c/hgv viremia in the general population (2-5%) is relatively high compared with other parenterally borne viruses such as hepatitis c virus. to investigate the possibility of sexual transmission of gbv-c/hgv, we determined the frequency of viremia by the polymerase chain reaction and serological reactivity to the e2 protein by elisa in samples collect ... | 1998 | 9624607 |
| association between chronic hepatitis c infection and hepatocellular carcinoma in a scottish population. | hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) is one of the most common cancers in the world. the geographical prevalence varies considerably in different countries and scotland is regarded as an area of low risk for the disease. | 1997 | 9155590 |
| infection with hepatitis g virus among recipients of plasma products. | hepatitis g virus (hgv or gbv-c) is a newly discovered human flavivirus distantly related to hepatitis c virus (hcv). little information is available on its natural history or routes of transmission, although it can be transmitted parenterally. we investigated the prevalence of persistent infection of hgv and hcv in patients exposed to non-virus-inactivated pooled blood products associated with transmission of hcv. | 1996 | 8918279 |
| the epidemiology of hiv infection in edinburgh related to the injecting of drugs: an historical perspective and new insight regarding the past incidence of hiv infection derived from retrospective hiv antibody testing of stored samples of serum. | the pattern of sudden explosive outbreaks of hiv infection among drug users has been seen in several countries but is as yet incompletely understood. the epidemic of injecting drugs in edinburgh was associated with at least four overlapping epidemics of blood-borne viruses (hepatitis b, c, d and hiv). only hepatitis b was initially recognized, being followed by hiv and latterly hepatitis c. retrospective hiv testing of stored samples of serum from clinically diagnosed patients with hiv has allow ... | 1996 | 8852552 |
| genotypic variation, clinical and histological characteristics of chronic hepatitis c detected at blood donor screening. | since blood donor screening for the hepatitis c virus (hcv) began in 1991 a large number of seropositive subjects have been detected and several reports have suggested a high prevelance of liver disease. the aim of this study was to evaluate the severity of liver disease in hcv-positive blood donors in terms of the clinical, biochemical and histological abnormalities and to investigate the relationships between these features and the mode of transmission, duration of infection and viral genotype ... | 1995 | 8745319 |
| detection of htlv-i and -ii in scottish blood donor samples and archive donations. | positive samples identified during routine serological screening for hcv (hepatitis c virus), hbv (hepatitis b virus) and hiv (human immunodeficiency virus) are confirmed by nucleic acid testing in the snbts (scottish national blood transfusion service) pcr reference laboratory. serological screening for htlv-i (human t-cell lymphotropic virus type i) and -ii was implemented in scotland in november 2002, at which time a pcr assay was not available for confirmation. our aim was to develop a real- ... | 2006 | 16958835 |
| prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis c in scottish blood donors. | all blood donors in scotland who were found to be infected with hepatitis c virus (hcv) in the first 6 months of routine testing of all donations for anti-hcv were contacted. those who attended were counselled, a history of exposure to risk was sought, and blood was taken for alanine aminotransferase (alt) level as a measure of liver function. the epidemiological features were then correlated with the virological findings and alt. in the period under study between september 1991 and february 199 ... | 1994 | 7921048 |
| gauging acceptance of a hepatitis c test by family planning clinic attendees in glasgow, uk. | in the uk, pregnant women are not offered and recommended a hepatitis c virus (hcv) test because no effective intervention to prevent vertical transmission of hcv exists following conception. mother-to-child transmission of hcv could, however, be reduced if infected women planning to have children underwent a course of therapy prior to conception. | 2007 | 17925111 |
| the low risk of hepatitis c virus transmission among sexual partners of confirmed hcv-positive blood donors. | | 1994 | 7820234 |
| detection of three types of hepatitis c virus in blood donors: investigation of type-specific differences in serologic reactivity and rate of alanine aminotransferase abnormalities. | the serologic reactivity and epidemiology associated with different hepatitis c virus (hcv) variants were investigated in a cohort of 113 anti-hcv-positive donors. in scotland, hcv type 1 accounted for one-half of all infections; 40 percent of subjects were infected with hcv type 3, and the remainder were infected with type 2. reactivity with the ns-4-encoded antigens in the first-generation anti-c100 assay was absent in 68 percent of donors infected with types 2 and 3, as compared with 10 perce ... | 1993 | 7678709 |
| does hepatitis c contribute to liver injury in alcohol abusers in the west of scotland? | to test the hypothesis that many patients with alcoholic liver disease have coexisting hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection which promotes the development of cirrhosis. | 1995 | 7536113 |
| hepatitis c virus infection in renal dialysis patients in glasgow. | a survey of all 483 adult dialysis patients in the three renal units in glasgow using second-generation elisa was carried out to determine hepatitis c virus (hcv) seroprevalence in the summer of 1991 before the introduction of blood donor screening for antibody to hcv in the uk. supplementary testing of elisa positive sera was by second-generation immunoblot assay (riba-2, chiron). retrospective case note analysis and testing of stored sera were performed to assess liver function and the risk fa ... | 1994 | 7519762 |
| confirmation of hepatitis c virus antibody in blood donors. | of 103,203 donations collected in scotland and northern ireland over a 3-month period and screened for hcv antibody by ortho or abbott second-generation elisas, 340 were found repeatedly reactive. supplementary testing with riba-2 resulted in 77 being classified as positive, 130 as indeterminate, and 133 as negative. pcr analysis of the positives and indeterminates indicated viraemia in 65 (84%) of the positives and 7 (5.5%) of the indeterminates. to determine if pcr analysis could be eliminated ... | 1993 | 7505306 |
| use of several second generation serological assays to determine the true prevalence of hepatitis c virus infection in haemophiliacs treated with non-virus inactivated factor viii and ix concentrates. | to investigate the prevalence of hepatitis c virus infection in two risk groups, stored serum samples from treated haemophiliacs and intravenous drug users were tested for anti-hcv by both anti-c-100 based and second generation elisas (abbott and ortho) followed by testing in two confirmatory immunoblot assays that incorporate core as well as other non-structural antigens (innogenetics lia and chiron riba-hcv test). clear evidence of hcv infection was found in all but one of 78 haemophiliacs tre ... | 1992 | 1581236 |
| analysis of a new hepatitis c virus type and its phylogenetic relationship to existing variants. | sequences obtained in the 5' non-coding region (5'ncr) of hepatitis c virus (hcv) were obtained from scottish blood donors and compared with previously published hcv sequences. phylogenetic analysis revealed the existence of three distinct groups of sequences; two of these corresponded to the recently described hcv types 1 and 2 variants, while viral sequences detected in around a third of the blood donors formed a separate phylogenetic group that probably represents infection with a novel virus ... | 1992 | 1316939 |
| incidence of hepatitis c virus infection and associated risk factors among scottish prison inmates: a cohort study. | to gauge the incidence of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection and associated risk factors among inmates during their imprisonment, the authors recruited adult males in a long-stay scottish prison into a cohort study between april 1999 and october 2000. on two occasions (at 0 and 6 months), saliva was collected for anonymous hcv antibody testing and risk behavior data were obtained through a self-administered questionnaire. the participation rate was 85% at both initial recruitment (612/719) and fo ... | 2004 | 14977648 |
| hepatitis c infection among dental personnel in the west of scotland, uk. | hepatitis c virus (hcv) is considered a serious occupational hazard for healthcare workers, particularly those performing exposure-prone procedures. in the uk, the majority of dental procedures are classified as exposure prone. in order to gauge the prevalence and determinants of infection among dental healthcare workers, a voluntary anonymous survey of hcv infection among primary care dental workers employed in the west of scotland was undertaken, in which occupational and personal risk data we ... | 2003 | 14505613 |
| prevalence of hepatitis c among injectors in scotland 1989-2000: declining trends among young injectors halt in the late 1990s. | we previously reported a continual decline in anti-hcv prevalence among young injectors from glasgow and lothian between 1990 and 1997. the original study was extended to ascertain if the anti-hcv prevalence among injectors from glasgow, lothian, tayside and grampian had changed since 1997. residual sera from injectors who had undergone attributable anti-hiv testing were tested anonymously for anti-hcv. in all four regions, no significant changes in prevalence were found among those aged < 25 ye ... | 2002 | 12113492 |
| epidemiology and economic burden of viral hepatitis: an observational population based study. | to describe the epidemiology and estimate the health resource use of patients with viral hepatitis in tayside, scotland, using record linkage techniques. | 2002 | 11772975 |
| projecting severe sequelae of injection-related hepatitis c virus epidemic in the uk. part 2: preliminary uk estimates of prevalent injection-related hepatitis c carriers, and derivation of progression rates to liver cirrhosis by gender and age at hepatitis c virus infection. | in part 2, we illustrate how available data can be used to obtain preliminary estimates for scotland of prevalent injection-related hepatitis c carriers and of maternally hepatitis c virus (hcv)-infected infants. novel approaches to reducing uncertainty about the number of scotland's hcv infected children of injector parents are discussed in brief. three approaches, one direct and two indirect, to estimating the number of current and ever-injectors are presented for england and wales. | 2001 | 11437089 |
| hepatitis c virus among childbearing women in scotland: prevalence, deprivation, and diagnosis. | (a) to examine the prevalence and demographic characteristics of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection among childbearing women in scotland; and (b) to determine the extent of maternal hcv infection diagnosed prior to birth. | 2004 | 15016757 |
| establishment of a database of diagnosed hcv-infected persons in scotland. | to provide a comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection in scotland, a database of all persons known to have been infected with hcv in scotland was established. non-identifying data, held on the computers and requests forms in scotland's principal and confirmatory hcv testing laboratories, were entered onto a national database at the scottish centre for infection and environmental health. as at december 2001, records from 13,519 persons in scotland known ... | 2003 | 15067856 |
| changing patterns in causes of death in a cohort of injecting drug users, 1980-2001. | high mortality among drug users has been widely recognized. this study investigates, in a large family practice of 10 000 patients in edinburgh, scotland, whether there has been a change in causes of mortality over time. patients known to have ever injected drugs were recruited into a cohort study from 1980 until 2001. | 2004 | 15197047 |
| audit of bloodborne virus prevention activity with drug users seen in primary care. | drug misuse is increasingly being managed in general practice. it has been proposed that better use could be made of this contact to identify people with bloodborne virus (bbv) morbidity and to deliver prevention strategies. the hepatitis b and c prevention project was designed to enhance the work of primary healthcare teams in preventing transmission of bbvs in people known to have a history of problem drug use. as part of this work a baseline audit of current provision was undertaken and the r ... | 2004 | 15779794 |
| patient notification exercise following a dentist's admission of the periodic use of unsterilized equipment. | during 2001, greater glasgow national health service (nhs) board undertook a patient notification exercise in a glasgow dental practice following the admission, by the dentist, of the use of unsterilized dental equipment on patients. four thousand and eighty-nine exposed patients were identified; of these, 1696 contacted the nhs helpline and 1005 were counselled and screened for hepatitis c virus (hcv), hepatitis b virus (hbv) and human immunodeficiency virus. one patient showed evidence of prev ... | 2005 | 15942986 |
| modeling the current and future disease burden of hepatitis c among injection drug users in scotland. | quantitative estimates of the current and future burden of hepatitis c virus (hcv) disease are required to plan a public health response to the hcv epidemic with regard to both prevention and treatment. a forward projection model was used to estimate the numbers of both current and former injecting drug users (idus) who acquired hcv and progressed to moderate and severe disease in glasgow and scotland during 1960-2030. the model was designed to synthesize information on the incidence and cessati ... | 2005 | 16116637 |
| detection of hcv and hiv-1 antibody negative infections in scottish and northern ireland blood donations by nucleic acid amplification testing. | to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmissible viruses entering the blood supply, the nucleic acid amplification testing (nat) was implemented to screen scottish and northern irish blood donations in minipools. after 5 years of nat for hepatitis c virus (hcv) and 2 years for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (hiv-1), the yield of serologically negative, nucleic acid positive 'window donations' and cost-benefit of nat is under review. | 2005 | 16146504 |
| prevalence of, and risk factors for, hepatitis c virus infection among recent initiates to injecting in london and glasgow: cross sectional analysis. | our aim was to compare the prevalence of antibody to hepatitis c virus (anti-hcv) among recently initiated injecting drug users (idus) in london and glasgow, and to identify risk factors which could explain differences in prevalence between the cities. complementary studies of community recruited idus who had initiated injection drug use since 1996 were conducted during 2001-2002. data on hcv risk behaviours were gathered using structured questionnaires with identical core questions and responde ... | 2005 | 16255768 |
| hepatitis c virus infection in scotland: epidemiological review and public health challenges. | in 2004, scotland's health minister stated that the hepatitis c virus (hcv) "is one of the most serious and significant public health risks of our generation". | 2006 | 16722130 |
| comparison of prevalence rates of microbiological markers between bone/tissue donations and new blood donors in scotland. | blood-borne virus prevalence rates of samples accompanying tissue donors are not widely available. this article compares the rates in scottish bone/tissue donors with those of new blood donors for the 7-year period, 1998-2004. | 2006 | 16756598 |
| hepatitis c virus infection among injecting drug users in scotland: a review of prevalence and incidence data and the methods used to generate them. | it is estimated that of 50,000 persons in scotland (1% of the county's population), infected with the hepatitis c virus (hcv), around 90% injected drugs. this paper reviews data on the prevalence and incidence of hcv, and the methods used to generate such information, among injecting drug users (idus), in scotland. the prevalence estimate for hcv among idus in scotland as a whole (44% in 2000), is comparable with those observed in many european countries. incidence rates ranged from 11.9 to 28.4 ... | 2007 | 16893486 |
| benefits of a blood donation archive repository: international survey of donor repository procedures and scottish experiences. | the use of a donation sample archive has been in place within the scottish national blood transfusion service for almost 35 years but the advent of human immunodeficiency virus donor testing led to this archive being kept for an indefinite period. this article describes the uses made of our archive repository. | 2007 | 17581151 |
| benchmarking self-reported practice regarding scottish executive guidance on hepatitis c-infected health care workers. | the 2002 scottish executive guidance 'hepatitis c-infected health care workers' advised nhs scotland occupational health departments regarding screening health care workers (hcw) who perform or who may perform exposure-prone procedures (epps) for hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection. in 2004, 2 years following the launch of the guidance, there was anecdotal evidence of challenges to implementation and clinical and ethical concerns regarding the screening process. | 2007 | 18000022 |
| comparison of deaths related to hepatitis c and aids in scotland. | in resource-rich countries, the incidence of and mortality from aids has fallen dramatically since the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy. in contrast, developed countries have observed increases in the public health burden associated with the hepatitis c virus (hcv). we compared past and current trends in mortality related to hcv sequelae and hiv/aids in scotland by linking death records with national databases of persons diagnosed with hcv and hiv/aids. aids-related deaths incr ... | 2007 | 18070290 |
| exploring associations between perceived hcv status and injecting risk behaviors among recent initiates to injecting drug use in glasgow. | the aim of this study was to explore the influence of testing for hepatitis c virus (hcv) and perceived hcv status on injecting risk behavior. a cross-sectional, community-wide survey was undertaken at multiple sites throughout greater glasgow during 2001-2002. four hundred ninety-seven injecting drug users (idus) consented to participate and were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to ascertain hcv test history and injecting risk behavior. the average age of participants was 27 years a ... | 2008 | 18365938 |
| outcome of patients from the west of scotland traveling to pakistan for living donor kidney transplants. | the aim of this study was to analyze the 3-year outcome of patients traveling from the west of scotland to pakistan for living donor kidney transplant. baseline data and outcomes of 18 consecutive recipients who traveled to pakistan between 2000 and 2007 and returned for follow-up at the regional transplant unit in the west of scotland were retrieved from the electronic patient record. mean follow-up was 775 days. no patients died. two kidneys failed at 12 and 1400 days, respectively. the incide ... | 2008 | 18946355 |
| a population-based record linkage study of mortality in hepatitis c-diagnosed persons with or without hiv coinfection in scotland. | infection with the hepatitis c virus (hcv) is known to increase the risk of death from severe liver disease and, because hcv status is strongly associated with a history of injecting drug use, the effect of a key disease progression cofactor, infection with human immunodeficiency virus (hiv), is of interest. we examined all-cause, liver-related and drug-related mortality and excess risk of death from these causes in a large cohort of hcv-monoinfected and hiv-coinfected persons in scotland. the s ... | 2009 | 19036907 |
| re-weighted inference about hepatitis c virus-infected communities when analysing diagnosed patients referred to liver clinics. | to project national hepatitis c virus (hcv) burden, unbiased estimation of hcv progression to liver cirrhosis is required for the whole community of hcv-infected individuals. however, widely varying estimates of progression rates to cirrhosis have been produced. this disparity is partly associated with the statistical methods applied, but is mainly due to the differing types of study cohort. we use an inverse probability weighted estimation method to recover the true parameters for the (weibull ... | 2009 | 19036910 |
| evaluation of a general practice based hepatitis c virus screening intervention. | in 2003 an estimated 37,500 of scotland's population was chronically infected with hcv; 44% were undiagnosed former injecting drug users (idu)--a priority group for antiviral therapy. | 2009 | 19728405 |
| hospitalization of hepatitis c-diagnosed individuals in scotland for decompensated cirrhosis: a population-based record-linkage study. | although chronic infection with the hepatitis c virus (hcv) may lead to the development of cirrhosis and its complications, little data are available on progression to the decompensated stage in a hetereogeneous population. our aims were to characterize the burden of hcv-related decompensated cirrhosis on the national health care system in scotland in terms of hospital admissions and length of stay, and to estimate the associations between epidemiological variables and time to the first hospital ... | 2010 | 19773667 |
| the growing contribution of hepatitis c virus infection to liver-related mortality in scotland. | the large number of individuals in scotland who became infected with the hepatitis c virus (hcv) in the 1970s and 1980s leads us to expect liver-related morbidity and mortality to increase in the coming years. we investigated the contribution of hcv to liver-related mortality in the period january 1991 to june 2006. the study population consisted of 26,861 individuals whose death record mentioned a liver-related cause (underlying or contributing). record-linkage to the national hcv diagnosis dat ... | 2010 | 20460092 |
| excess morbidity in the hepatitis c-diagnosed population in scotland, 1991-2006. | we estimated the excess risk of in-patient hospitalization in a large cohort of persons diagnosed with hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection, controlling for social deprivation. a total of 20 749 individuals diagnosed with hcv in scotland by 31 december 2006 were linked to the scottish hospital discharge database, and indirectly standardized hospitalization rates, adjusting for sex, age, year and deprivation were calculated. we observed significant excess morbidity considering episodes for: any diag ... | 2011 | 20587118 |
| management of blood and body fluid exposures in police service staff. | police service staff are at risk of occupational exposure to blood and body fluids with the consequent risk of blood-borne virus (bbv) infection. | 2010 | 20682741 |
| the influence of hepatitis c and alcohol on liver-related morbidity and mortality in glasgow's injecting drug user population. | infection with the hepatitis c virus (hcv) is associated with the development of severe liver disease, but cofactors--namely alcohol abuse--in scotland's hcv-positive population complicate estimation of the unique contribution of hcv. we compared the risk of hospital admission/death for a liver-related cause in a large cohort of glasgow's injecting drug users (idus) testing hcv-positive with idus testing hcv negative. data for 6566 current/former idus who had been tested for anti-hcv and/or hcv ... | 2010 | 20964793 |
| the prevalence of hepatitis c virus among people of south asian origin in glasgow - results from a community based survey and laboratory surveillance. | south asians often present late with hcv or hbv related liver disease which could have been avoided with early diagnosis and subsequent treatment; however the prevalence of hcv/hbv among south asians in glasgow is not known. accordingly, to inform the need for case finding among this group we aimed to examine the prevalence of hepatitis c virus (hcv) among south asians living in glasgow. | 2013 | 24007935 |
| uptake of hepatitis c antibody testing in patients with end-stage liver disease in glasgow, 1993-2007. | individuals infected with hepatitis c virus (hcv) need to be diagnosed well before developing end-stage liver disease to benefit from treatment. we aimed to ascertain what proportion of cases had been tested for hcv to inform on the effectiveness of current guidelines. record linkage between national databases of hcv tests, hospital discharges and deaths identified 10,645 persons who were hospitalized or had died with mention of end-stage liver disease in glasgow, scotland, between 1993 and 2007 ... | 2010 | 21029257 |
| suitability of an automated nucleic acid extractor (easymag) for use with hepatitis c virus and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 nucleic acid amplification testing. | serological screening assays have greatly reduced, but not eliminated, the risk of transmission of viral infections by transfusion of blood and blood products. in addition, the 1999 regulation of the european agency for the evaluation of medicinal products requiring all plasma for fractionation to have tested negative for hepatitis c virus (hcv) rna (cpmp/bwp/390/97, 1998) led many blood transfusion services to introduce nucleic acid amplification technology (nat) to screen blood donations for h ... | 2010 | 21126541 |
| does geographic access to primary healthcare influence the detection of hepatitis c? | recent work in france has suggested that poor geographic access to primary healthcare may have a negative influence upon detection rates of the hepatitis c virus. topography and poor infrastructure can exacerbate geographic remoteness, while the stigma surrounding hepatitis c and intravenous drug use may also discourage healthcare-seeking behaviour in rural communities with limited choice of general practitioner. no similar study has been conducted in the uk, where detection rates of hepatitis c ... | 2011 | 21481509 |
| Mortality of those who attended drug services in Scotland 1996-2006: Record-linkage study. | BACKGROUND: We examine major causes of death amongst persons in contact with drug-treatment services across Scotland during April 1996-March 2006, hereafter Scottish Drug Misuse Database (SDMD) cohort. METHODS: Drug-treatment records were linked to national registers of deaths and hepatitis C virus (HCV) diagnoses. For eras 1996/97-2000/01 and 2001/02-2005/06, we calculated cause-specific death-rates and standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) using age-, sex- and calendar-rates of the general Scot ... | 2011 | 21719267 |
| the association between alcohol use and hepatitis c status among injecting drug users in glasgow. | background: we investigated the association between actual and self-reported hepatitis c virus (hcv) status and alcohol consumption among injecting drug users (idus) to determine whether idus who self-report as hcv infected comply with uk guidelines on safe drinking and to determine risk factors for drinking. methods: we conducted a repeat cross-sectional survey of idus accessing harm reduction services in glasgow in 2005 and 2007. we measured self-reported weekly alcohol consumption, excess dri ... | 2011 | 22137645 |
| excess liver-related morbidity of chronic hepatitis c patients, who achieve a sustained viral response, and are discharged from care. | our objective was to address two shortfalls in the hepatitis c virus (hcv) literature: (1) few data exist comparing post-treatment liver-related mortality/morbidity in hcv-sustained virologic response (svr) patients to non-svr patients and (2) no data exist examining liver-related morbidity among treatment response subgroups,particularly among noncirrhotic svr patients, a group who in the main are discharged from care without further follow-up. a retrospective cohort of 1,215 previously naïve hc ... | 2011 | 22045672 |
| identifying former injecting drug users infected with hepatitis c: an evaluation of a general practice-based case-finding intervention. | background: in scotland, a general practice-based case-finding initiative, to diagnose and refer hepatitis c virus (hcv) chronically infected former injecting drug users (idus), was evaluated. methods: testing was offered in eight glasgow general practices in areas of high deprivation and high hcv and idu prevalence to attendees aged 30-54 years with a history of idu. test uptake and diagnosis rates were compared with those in eight demographically similar control practices. results: of 422 elig ... | 2011 | 22138489 |
| the effectiveness of outreach testing for hepatitis c in an immigrant pakistani population. | summaryin scotland, an estimated 1% of the population is infected with hepatitis c virus (hcv). there is ethnic diversity in scotland, with a large pakistani sub-population. our aim was to investigate the prevalence of hcv in an immigrant pakistani population and effectiveness of an outreach testing intervention. we arranged a series of hcv awareness meetings at the mosques and pakistani women's centre in the city of dundee. thereafter short-term outreach hcv testing clinics were set up in the s ... | 2011 | 21854668 |
| modelling the impact of incarceration and prison-based hepatitis c virus (hcv) treatment on hcv transmission among people who inject drugs in scotland. | people who inject drugs (pwid) experience high incarceration rates, and previous incarceration is associated with elevated hepatitis c virus (hcv) transmission risk. in scotland, national survey data indicate lower hcv incidence in prison than the community (4.3 versus 7.3 per 100 person-years), but a 2.3-fold elevated transmission risk among recently released (< 6 months) pwid. we evaluated the contribution of incarceration to hcv transmission among pwid and the impact of prison-related prevent ... | 2017 | 28257600 |
| the seroprevalence of hepatitis c virus infection among children and their mothers attending for dental care in glasgow, scotland, united kingdom. | this paper describes a voluntary anonymous survey to investigate the seroprevalence of hepatitis c (hcv) in children in glasgow, uk attending a dental hospital and the proportion of hcv positive mothers who have a child who is hcv seropositive. the study was undertaken among children and accompanying parents and household contacts attending a general anaesthetic assessment clinic at glasgow dental hospital and school. children were asked to provide an oral fluid specimen for hcv testing. accompa ... | 2016 | 27568000 |
| hepatitis c reinfection following treatment induced viral clearance among people who have injected drugs. | although people who inject drugs (pwid) are an important group to receive hepatitis c virus (hcv) antiviral therapy, initiation onto treatment remains low. concerns over reinfection may make clinicians reluctant to treat this group. we examined the risk of hcv reinfection among a cohort of pwid (encompassing all those reporting a history of injecting drug use) from scotland who achieved a sustained virological response (svr). | 2016 | 27268294 |
| matched population-based study examining the risk of type 2 diabetes in people with and without diagnosed hepatitis c virus infection. | meta-analyses have found hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection to be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (t2dm). here, we examine this association within a large population-based study, according to hcv rna status. a data-linkage approach was used to examine the excess risk of diagnosed t2dm in people diagnosed with antibodies to hcv (anti-hcv) in scotland (21 929 anti-hcv(+ves) ; involving 15 827 hcv rna(+ves) , 3927 hcv rna(-ves) and 2175 with unknown rna-status) compared ... | 2016 | 26910297 |
| liver mortality attributable to chronic hepatitis c virus infection in denmark and scotland--using spontaneous resolvers as the benchmark comparator. | liver mortality among individuals with chronic hepatitis c (chc) infection is common, but the relative contribution of chc per se versus adverse health behaviors is uncertain. we explored data on spontaneous resolvers of hepatitis c virus (hcv) as a benchmark group to uncover the independent contribution of chc on liver mortality. using national hcv diagnosis and mortality registers from denmark and scotland, we calculated the liver mortality rate (lmr) for persons diagnosed with chc infection ( ... | 2016 | 26773546 |
| spatiotemporal reconstruction of the introduction of hepatitis c virus into scotland and its subsequent regional transmission. | a more comprehensive understanding of hepatitis c virus (hcv) transmission dynamics could facilitate public health initiatives to reduce the prevalence of hcv in people who inject drugs. we aimed to determine how hcv sequences entered and spread throughout scotland and to identify transmission hot spots. a scottish data set with embedded demographic data was created by sequencing the ns5b of 125 genotype 1a (gt1a) samples and 166 gt3a samples and analyzed alongside sequences from public database ... | 2015 | 26311892 |
| defining populations and injecting parameters among people who inject drugs: implications for the assessment of hepatitis c treatment programs. | there is considerable interest in determining the impact that increased uptake of treatment for hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection will have on the burden of hcv among people who inject drugs (pwid). an understanding of the size of the population of pwid, rates of injecting cessation and hcv prevalence and incidence within the pwid population is essential for such exercises. however, these parameters are often uncertain. in this paper we review methods for estimating the size of the population of ... | 2015 | 26297564 |
| estimating the number of people with hepatitis c virus who have ever injected drugs and have yet to be diagnosed: an evidence synthesis approach for scotland. | to estimate the number of people who have ever injected drugs (defined here as pwid) living in scotland in 2009 who have been infected with the hepatitis c virus (hcv) and to quantify and characterize the population remaining undiagnosed. | 2015 | 25876667 |
| estimating current injectors in scotland and their drug-related death rate by sex, region and age-group via bayesian capture--recapture methods. | using bayesian capture-recapture methods, we estimate current injectors in scotland in 2003, and, thereby, injectors' drug-related death rates for the period 2003-2005. four different data sources are considered [hepatitis c virus (hcv) database, hospital admissions, social enquiry reports, and drug misuse database reports by general practices or drug treatment agencies] which provide covariate information on sex, region (greater glasgow versus elsewhere in scotland) and age group (15-34 years a ... | 2009 | 19036914 |
| diagnosis of hepatitis c virus infection in scotland's injecting drug user population. | we estimated the extent of undiagnosed hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection in injecting drug users (idus) in scotland. we used record-linkage to determine hcv diagnosis status for 41 062 current/former idus attending drug treatment and support services between 1 april 1995 and 31 march 2006; the extent of undiagnosed hcv infection was estimated by comparing the number hcv-diagnosed to the number hcv-infected (estimated from an unlinked anonymous testing survey of 2141 current/former idus). in all, ... | 2010 | 19723361 |
| rise in testing and diagnosis associated with scotland's action plan on hepatitis c and introduction of dried blood spot testing. | a key aim of the hepatitis c action plan for scotland was to reduce the undiagnosed population through awareness-raising activities, for general practitioners and those at risk, and the introduction of dried blood spot (dbs) sampling in community drug services to overcome barriers to testing. this study evaluates the impact of these activities on testing and diagnosis. | 2014 | 25170094 |
| rapid decline in hcv incidence among people who inject drugs associated with national scale-up in coverage of a combination of harm reduction interventions. | government policy has precipitated recent changes in the provision of harm reduction interventions - injecting equipment provision (iep) and opiate substitution therapy (ost) - for people who inject drugs (pwid) in scotland. we sought to examine the potential impact of these changes on hepatitis c virus (hcv) transmission among pwid. | 2014 | 25110927 |
| risk of transmission associated with sharing drug injecting paraphernalia: analysis of recent hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection using cross-sectional survey data. | sharing injecting paraphernalia (containers, filters and water) poses a risk of transmitting the hepatitis c virus (hcv). the prevalence of, and risk of hcv from, such behaviour has not been extensively reported in europe. people who inject drugs (pwid) were recruited in cross-sectional surveys from services providing sterile injecting equipment across scotland between 2008 and 2010. participants completed a questionnaire and provided a blood spot for anonymous testing. logistic regression was u ... | 2014 | 24329854 |
| incomplete contingency tables with censored cells with application to estimating the number of people who inject drugs in scotland. | estimating the size of hidden or difficult to reach populations is often of interest for economic, sociological or public health reasons. in order to estimate such populations, administrative data lists are often collated to form multi-list cross-counts and displayed in the form of an incomplete contingency table. log-linear models are typically fitted to such data to obtain an estimate of the total population size by estimating the number of individuals not observed by any of the data-sources. ... | 2014 | 24293386 |
| hepatitis c infection and outcomes in the scottish haemophilia population. | patients with bleeding disorders previously frequently became infected with hepatitis c virus. we identified the number of patients infected in scotland and assessed several aspects of the outcomes of hcv infection and its treatment comparing these with cohorts infected for other reasons. we calculated the number of individuals infected in scotland (cohort a) starting with the total number of patients treated in scottish haemophilia centres registered on the ukhcdo database between 1970 and 1989 ... | 2013 | 23786361 |
| estimating the number of injecting drug users in scotland's hcv-diagnosed population using capture-recapture methods. | in countries maintaining national hepatitis c virus (hcv) surveillance systems, a substantial proportion of individuals report no risk factors for infection. our goal was to estimate the proportion of diagnosed hcv antibody-positive persons in scotland (1991-2010) who probably acquired infection through injecting drug use (idu), by combining data on idu risk from four linked data sources using log-linear capture-recapture methods. of 25,521 hcv-diagnosed individuals, 14,836 (58%) reported idu ri ... | 2014 | 23522183 |
| low incidence of hepatitis c virus among prisoners in scotland. | to estimate hepatitis c virus (hcv) incidence and hcv risk among scottish prisoners. | 2013 | 23297816 |
| quantifying the fraction of cirrhosis attributable to alcohol among chronic hepatitis c virus patients: implications for treatment cost-effectiveness. | a substantial baseline risk of liver cirrhosis exists for patients with chronic hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection. however, the extent to which this could be driven by heavy alcohol use is unclear. therefore, our principal aim was to determine the fraction of cirrhosis attributable to heavy alcohol use among chronic hcv patients attending a liver clinic. the study population comprised chronic hcv patients who had attended one of five liver clinics in scotland during 1996-2010 and had (1) remaine ... | 2013 | 22961861 |
| association between harm reduction intervention uptake and recent hepatitis c infection among people who inject drugs attending sites that provide sterile injecting equipment in scotland. | prevalence of the hepatitis c virus (hcv) among people who inject drugs (pwid) in scotland is high. the scottish government has invested significantly in harm reduction interventions with the goal of reducing hcv transmission among pwid. in evaluating the effectiveness of interventions, estimates of hcv incidence are essential. | 2012 | 22940142 |
| a time since onset of injection model for hepatitis c spread amongst injecting drug users. | studies of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection amongst injecting drug users (idus) have suggested that this population can be separated into two risk groups (naive and experienced) with different injecting risk behaviours. understanding the differences between these two groups and how they interact could lead to a better allocation of prevention measures designed to reduce the burden of hcv in this population. in this paper we develop a deterministic, compartmental mathematical model for the sprea ... | 2013 | 22926752 |
| is travel-time to a specialist centre a risk factor for non-referral, non-attendance and loss to follow-up among patients with hepatitis c (hcv) infection? | little is known about why many people diagnosed with hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection fail to reach and stay within specialist care services. we used a geographic information system and logit regression to investigate whether travel-time to a specialist centre was associated with an increased likelihood of non-referral, non-attendance and loss to follow-up among persons diagnosed with hcv between 1991 and 2003 in tayside, scotland (uk). information was available on referral to, and utilisation ... | 2012 | 22516762 |
| estimating the variability in the risk of infection for hepatitis c in the glasgow injecting drug user population. | glasgow (scotland's largest city) has a high prevalence of injecting drug use and has one of the highest prevalences of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection in injecting drug users (idus) in western europe. hcv prevalence data from surveys of glasgow's idus from 1990 to 2007 were utilized and a model was applied that described the prevalence of hcv as a function of the rate (force) of infection. force-of-infection estimates for hcv that may vary over time and injecting career length over a range of ... | 2012 | 22459739 |
| examination of the risk of reinfection with hepatitis c among injecting drug users who have been tested in glasgow. | unsafe injecting practices put injecting drug users (idus) at repeat exposure to infection with the hepatitis c virus (hcv). it has not yet been determined if spontaneously clearing one's primary infection influences the risk of reinfection; our aim was to estimate the relative risk of reinfection in idus who have cleared the virus. | 2012 | 22421553 |
| a matched comparison study of hepatitis c treatment outcomes in the prison and community setting, and an analysis of the impact of prison release or transfer during therapy. | prisoners are a priority group for hepatitis c (hcv) treatment. although treatment durations will become shorter using directly acting antivirals (daas), nearly half of prison sentences in scotland are too short to allow completion of daa therapy prior to release. the purpose of this study was to compare treatment outcomes between prison- and community-based patients and to examine the impact of prison release or transfer during therapy. a national database was used to compare treatment outcomes ... | 2016 | 27509844 |
| expansion of hcv treatment access to people who have injected drugs through effective translation of research into public health policy: scotland's experience. | seven years have elapsed since the scottish government launched its hepatitis c action plan - a plan to improve services to prevent transmission of infection, particularly among people who inject drugs (pwid), identify those infected and ensure those infected receive optimal treatment. the plan was underpinned by industrial scale funding (around £100 million, in addition to the general nhs funding, will have been invested by 2015), and a web of accountable national and local multi-disciplinary m ... | 2015 | 26123893 |
| hospitalisation for an alcohol-related cause among injecting drug users in scotland: increased risk following diagnosis with hepatitis c infection. | the rate of hepatitis c (hcv) related liver disease progression is known to be strongly associated with alcohol consumption, yet there are very few data on alcohol use in injecting drug users (idus), who represent 90% of scotland's hcv-diagnosed population. to investigate the extent of alcohol use in idus, we used hospitalisation with an alcohol-related diagnosis as an indicator for problematic consumption levels, and compared admission rates pre- and post-hcv diagnosis. | 2011 | 20472416 |
| uptake of hepatitis c specialist services and treatment following diagnosis by dried blood spot in scotland. | dried blood spot (dbs) testing for hepatitis c (hcv) was introduced to scotland in 2009. this minimally invasive specimen provides an alternative to venipuncture and can overcome barriers to testing in people who inject drugs (pwid). | 2014 | 25264306 |
| attendance at specialist hepatitis clinics and initiation of antiviral treatment among persons chronically infected with hepatitis c: examining the early impact of scotland's hepatitis c action plan. | primary goals of the hepatitis c action plan for scotland phase ii (may 2008-march 2011) were to increase, among persons chronically infected with the hepatitis c (hcv) virus, attendance at specialist outpatient clinics and initiation on antiviral therapy. we evaluated progress towards these goals by comparing the odds, across time, of (a) first clinic attendance within 12 months of hcv diagnosis (n = 9747) and (b) initiation on antiviral treatment within 12 months of first attendance (n = 5736) ... | 2014 | 24716639 |
| an overview and evaluation of combining an addiction liaison nurse outpatient service with hepatitis c outpatient clinics in glasgow, scotland. | a new purpose-built facility for the care of patients with hepatitis c was opened at gartnavel general hospital in glasgow, scotland, in 2009, bringing together infectious diseases and gastroenterology disciplines. an addiction liaison nurse outpatient service was established alongside existing hepatitis c outpatient clinics in october 2010. this service supports staff and patients with hepatitis c and addiction issues. the purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of combining the ad ... | 2015 | 23549212 |
| the successful implementation of scotland's hepatitis c action plan: what can other european stakeholders learn from the experience? a scottish voluntary sector perspective. | | 2014 | 25252617 |