Ennio Polilli1, Monica Tontodonati1, Maria Elena Flacco2,3, Tamara Ursini1, Palmira Striani4, Dante Di Giammartino5, Maurizio Paoloni6, Luigi Vallarola7, Gabriella Lucidi Pressanti7, Giorgia Fragassi2, Patrizia Accorsi4, Lamberto Manzoli2,3, Giustino Parruti8. 1. Head, Infectious Disease Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Via Fonte Romana 8, 65124, Pescara, Italy. 2. Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy. 3. Regional Healthcare Agency of Abruzzo, Pescara, Italy. 4. Immunohematology and Transfusion, Apheresis Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy. 5. Infectious Disease Unit, Teramo General Hospital, Teramo, Italy. 6. Infectious Disease Unit, Avezzano General Hospital, Avezzano, Italy. 7. Immunohematology and Transfusion Unit, Teramo General Hospital, Teramo, Italy. 8. Head, Infectious Disease Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Via Fonte Romana 8, 65124, Pescara, Italy. parruti@tin.it.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Available estimates of the prevalence of chronic HCV infection in Italy are quite conflicting, varying from 1.5 to 22.5%, with an apparent north to south gradient. As Direct Acting Antivirals are expensive, both National and local governmental Agencies are in urgent need of detailed and reliable estimates of HCV patients to be treated, nationwide and in each district. We investigated the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in a large unselected sample of surgical patients providing consent to in-hospital opt-out pre-surgical HCV screening, at two hospitals from the Abruzzo Region, Italy. METHODS: Data were retrieved for 55,533 screened patients (4.1% of the total population in the Abruzzo Region), admitted in the Orthopedic and General Surgery wards of Pescara and Teramo Hospitals from 1999 to 2014. RESULTS: The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 4.4% in the total sample. HCV-positive patients had a mean age of 63.8 ± 19.9 years; 49.2% were males. From 1999 to 2014, the prevalence of HCV antibodies decreased from 5.4% to 4.1%; at both sites, however, two age-related-peaks were evidenced, the first among patients aged 30-49 years, the second among those older than 70 years. Statistical analyses confirmed a significant trend to decrease over time and a higher prevalence in Pescara and among males (all p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Data retrieved from opt-out pre-surgical screening programs may allow inexpensive and easy-to-perform estimates of HCV seroprevalence from large samples of unselected patients with a well-defined provenience, which may turn useful for future treatment resource allocation.
PURPOSE: Available estimates of the prevalence of chronic HCV infection in Italy are quite conflicting, varying from 1.5 to 22.5%, with an apparent north to south gradient. As Direct Acting Antivirals are expensive, both National and local governmental Agencies are in urgent need of detailed and reliable estimates of HCV patients to be treated, nationwide and in each district. We investigated the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in a large unselected sample of surgical patients providing consent to in-hospital opt-out pre-surgical HCV screening, at two hospitals from the Abruzzo Region, Italy. METHODS: Data were retrieved for 55,533 screened patients (4.1% of the total population in the Abruzzo Region), admitted in the Orthopedic and General Surgery wards of Pescara and Teramo Hospitals from 1999 to 2014. RESULTS: The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 4.4% in the total sample. HCV-positive patients had a mean age of 63.8 ± 19.9 years; 49.2% were males. From 1999 to 2014, the prevalence of HCV antibodies decreased from 5.4% to 4.1%; at both sites, however, two age-related-peaks were evidenced, the first among patients aged 30-49 years, the second among those older than 70 years. Statistical analyses confirmed a significant trend to decrease over time and a higher prevalence in Pescara and among males (all p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Data retrieved from opt-out pre-surgical screening programs may allow inexpensive and easy-to-perform estimates of HCV seroprevalence from large samples of unselected patients with a well-defined provenience, which may turn useful for future treatment resource allocation.
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