Einat Peles1, Vera Rados, Miriam Adelson. 1. Dr. Miriam & Sheldon G. Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse, Treatment & Research, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. einatp@tasmc.health.gov.il
Abstract
AIMS: To compare characteristics, retention in treatment and cessation of drug abuse of 249 positive hepatitis C (HCV+) with 188 negative hepatitis C (HCV-) antibody patients. METHODS: Data on Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B and HIV results, urine-proven drug use, and modified ASI of all patients admitted to the Adelson MMT clinic between June/1993-Dec/2002 were prospectively collected. RESULTS: HCV+ patients manifested more ever injecting drug use, immigrants, positive HIV antibody, hepatitis B antigen, years of opiate addiction pre-MMT and benzodiazepines misuse after one year in MMT than HCV- patients, with similar 1-year retention and proportion of opiate use cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Although characteristics of HCV+ and HCV- differed, they manifested similar outcomes: treatment retention and proportion of opiate use cessation.
AIMS: To compare characteristics, retention in treatment and cessation of drug abuse of 249 positive hepatitis C (HCV+) with 188 negative hepatitis C (HCV-) antibody patients. METHODS: Data on Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B and HIV results, urine-proven drug use, and modified ASI of all patients admitted to the Adelson MMT clinic between June/1993-Dec/2002 were prospectively collected. RESULTS: HCV+ patients manifested more ever injecting drug use, immigrants, positive HIV antibody, hepatitis B antigen, years of opiate addiction pre-MMT and benzodiazepines misuse after one year in MMT than HCV- patients, with similar 1-year retention and proportion of opiate use cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Although characteristics of HCV+ and HCV- differed, they manifested similar outcomes: treatment retention and proportion of opiate use cessation.