Sherbet Khan Mandokhel, Mohammad Saleem, Shahid Raza Khalid, Azeem Ullah.
Frequency of hepatitis C in patients of chronic liver disease in Balochistan.
Pak J Med Health Sci Jan ;5(2):280-2.

Aims: This study was conducted with the aim to document the frequency of hepatitis C Seropositivity in patients with Chronic Liver Disease from every walk of life and every part of Balochistan. Methods: This was a single centre descriptive study having no control group. Samples of the serum were collected in the “National Program for Hepatitis “and Gastroenterology and surgery Department of Bolan Medical Complex Hospital Quetta during the period from April 2008 to January 2009.HCV antibodies were detected by Elisa Third Generation in Aga khan Unversity Hospital central lab and shoukat khanum memorial hospital Lahore. A sample size of 1054 was calculated, using 5% level of significance margin of error as 5% and an expected frequency of 50%. who belonged to every walk of life in Balochistan In which 554(52.56%) were males and 500(47.43%) were females. The males and females ratio participated in this study was the same the majority of them were from the very poor socioeconomic group and lower middle Class. This is because the treatment was free in the National Program for Hepatitis, and the investigations were funded from the Government Zakat fund. Results: Total No of 223 (21.15%) patients were positive for HCV antibodies including 128(23.1%) were male and 95(19%) were females. As. The No of male patients participated were 554(52/56%) and female patients were 500(46/43%). The total No of male patients positive for HCV antibodies were 128 (23, 1%), and the male patients Negative for HCV antibodies were 426(76.89%). The total No of female patients positive HCV antibodies were 95(19%), and female patients negative HCV antibodies were 405(81%). The total No of male patients who approached the facility were slightly higher than the female patients, but the percentage of female patients positive for HCV antibodies was lower than the male patients The Majority of the patients had no idea about the vaccination, causative factors, preventing measures, treatment and complications, Which Indicates a very pathetic situation of hepatitis patients in Balochistan. Conclusion: The frequency of HCV antibodies is quite low in the patients of Chronic Liver Disease who approached our center, and the male and female ratio is not statistically significant. And is quite comparable to the frequency of HCV antibodies in patients of chronic liver disease in different parts of the country and as well as in the international world.

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