Establishment of a successful assessment and treatment service for Australian prison inmates with chronic hepatitis C.

摘要: Objective To evaluate the assessment and treatment outcomes of a prison hepatitis service. Design setting A retrospective, observational cohort study inmates who attended clinics from 1996 to 2005 at correctional centres in New South Wales. Patients Inmates clinics, including nested case-control series patients received antiviral age- sex-matched did not receive treatment. Main outcome measures Demographic clinical characteristics service; correlates selection for treatment; virological Results Of 1043 851 were men (82%) 994 (95%) referred HCV infection; mean age this group was 33 years (range, 18-74 years). In (185 treated 186 untreated patients), biased by culturally linguistically diverse background, current methadone or psychiatric status. group, 76 138 genotyped had genotype that is predictive favourable response, small minority those with available liver biopsy results established cirrhosis (7/119 patients). whom complete follow-up data available, 55% achieved sustained response 100% adhered therapy. addition, episodes especially complicated. Conclusion Although population has high rates injecting drug use poor mental health, imprisonment offers an opportunity chronic infection.