These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Comparison of characteristics of treated and non-treated patients with Hepatitis C infection.
    Author: Hare CB, Morris JA, Chu A, Gotz V, Loveland JJ, Hodes D, Klaskala W.
    Journal: Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf; 2006 Feb; 15(2):71-6. PubMed ID: 16136612.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVES: This study compares the characteristics of treated and non-treated patients with Hepatitis C (HCV) infection. METHODS: Information on patient demographics, clinical data, and treatment regimens were collected from a retrospective medical record review of 998 patients diagnosed with HCV, representing a diverse geographic sample of 200 U.S. physicians including 130 gastroenterologists, 50 infectious disease physicians, and 20 hepatologists. A total of 551 patients were randomly selected and 447 were provided as an augmented sample in an intent-to-treat analysis based on treatment decisions. Pretreatment factors examined included age, gender, race, weight, HCV genotype, HCV viral load, serum ALT levels, liver biopsy results, cirrhosis, HIV co-infection, HBV co-infection, IV drug use, and insurance status. Univariate analyses were performed using Chi-squared or ANOVA tests. Factors that were significant in univariate analyses were entered into a multivariate logistic regression model with HCV treatment as the outcome variable. RESULTS: Of the 998 patients reviewed, 778 were treated for HCV and 220 were not treated. In univariate analyses, non-treated patients were more likely to be African American, HBV co-infected, HIV co-infected, IDUs, alcoholics, Medicaid insured, and were less likely to have had biopsies. The multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that performance of a liver biopsy, treatment with psychiatric medications (antidepressants and anxiolytics), and patient weight were independently associated with treatment, while Medicaid insurance and HIV co-infection were independently associated with a decreased likelihood of receiving HCV therapy. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that it is not the clinical stage of HCV infection but the patient's demographic characteristics and co-morbid conditions that impact the decision to initiate HCV therapy.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]