BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has emerged as a major public health problem among injection drug users. In this analysis we examine whether disinfection of syringes with bleach has a potentially protective effect on anti-HCV seroconversion. METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control study comparing 78 anti-HCV seroconverters with 390 persistently anti-HCV seronegative injection drug users. These data come from the Second Collaborative Injection Drug Users Study, a prospective cohort study that recruited injection drug users from five U.S. cities between 1997 and 1999. We used conditional logistic regression to determine the effect of bleach disinfection of syringes on anti-HCV seroconversion. RESULTS: Participants who reported using bleach all the time had an odds ratio (OR) for anti-HCV seroconversion of 0.35 (95% confidence interval = 0.08-1.62), whereas those reporting bleach use only some of the time had an odds ratio of 0.76 (0.21-2.70), when compared with those reporting no bleach use. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that bleach disinfection of syringes, although not a substitute for use of sterile needles or cessation of injection, may help to prevent HCV infection among injection drug users.
BACKGROUND:Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has emerged as a major public health problem among injection drug users. In this analysis we examine whether disinfection of syringes with bleach has a potentially protective effect on anti-HCV seroconversion. METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control study comparing 78 anti-HCV seroconverters with 390 persistently anti-HCV seronegative injection drug users. These data come from the Second Collaborative Injection Drug Users Study, a prospective cohort study that recruited injection drug users from five U.S. cities between 1997 and 1999. We used conditional logistic regression to determine the effect of bleach disinfection of syringes on anti-HCV seroconversion. RESULTS:Participants who reported using bleach all the time had an odds ratio (OR) for anti-HCV seroconversion of 0.35 (95% confidence interval = 0.08-1.62), whereas those reporting bleach use only some of the time had an odds ratio of 0.76 (0.21-2.70), when compared with those reporting no bleach use. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that bleach disinfection of syringes, although not a substitute for use of sterile needles or cessation of injection, may help to prevent HCV infection among injection drug users.
Authors: Samuel R Friedman; Danielle C Ompad; Carey Maslow; Rebecca Young; Patricia Case; Sharon M Hudson; Theresa Diaz; Edward Morse; Susan Bailey; Don C Des Jarlais; Theresa Perlis; Amber Hollibaugh; Richard S Garfein Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2003-06 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Holly Hagan; Jennifer V Campbell; Hanne Thiede; Steffanie A Strathdee; Lawrence Ouellet; Mary Latka; Sharon Hudson; Richard S Garfein Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2007-03-23 Impact factor: 4.492
Authors: Danielle C Ompad; Robin M Ikeda; Nina Shah; Crystal M Fuller; Susan Bailey; Edward Morse; Peter Kerndt; Carey Maslow; Yingfeng Wu; David Vlahov; Richard Garfein; Steffanie A Strathdee Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2005-04 Impact factor: 9.308