FREQUENCY AND DETERMINANTS OF HEPATITIS C INFECTION AMONG HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

Background: Hepatitis C infection is considered a major cause of mortality and morbidity all over the world. Owing to frequent contact and injuries, HCPs (health care providers) are at an elevated risk of exposure to HCV (hepatitis C virus) transmission. Objective: The objective of the study is to find out the frequency and determinants of Hepatitis C infection among healthcare providers. Method: It was cross-sectional descriptive study in which 120 health care providers working at Allied Hospital, Faisalabad participated. Data was collected through questionnaire, which was entered into computer software using SPSS 20.0. Results: Among 120 HCPs, 70.8% were male and 30.8% were 50 years old or above. 92.5% HCPs were married, 7.5% had history of jaundice and 9.2% had history of dental procedure. Among these HCPs, 74.2% used gloves during working / handling patients, 45.8% had history of needle prick or shape weapon injury and only 16.7% HCPs attended training workshop about hepatitis C preventive measures. 4.2% HCPs were positive for anti-HCV. Conclusion: Study concluded that among health care providers, the prevalence of Hep-C was 4.2% and the major determinants were blood transfusion, dental procedure, shaving from barber, multiple sexual partners and lack of training program etc