Hepatitis C Screening in Intravenous Drug Users Under Treatment with Methadone: An Action Reserch Study

Document Type : Original Article (s)

Authors

1 Governance of Laboratories, Deputy of Treatment, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Researcher, Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine and Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

4 Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine and Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Intravenous drug users (IVDUs) are the most at risk group for viral hepatitis C and injection drug is responsible to more than 60% of HCV infected new cases worldwide. Hepatitis C screening in centers for methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) has several benefits in harm reduction stategies.Methods: In an action research study, after coordinating centers for MMT, questiononaires including demographic and risk factors of HCV were sent to 80 active centes in Isfahan province to complete and add their result for HCV-Ab test.Finding: Only seven centers with 1055 members, sent their completed questionaires to administrators, but most of documents were without any HCV-Ab test results. Overall, 74 (7.0%) participants were positive for hepatitis C.Conclusion: The results of this study indicated serious problem in execution which was due to lack of cooperration of the centers' mannagers, stuffs and members. Hence, it is recommended to do active intervention and consider a reward for future investigators.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Volume 28, Issue 0
November and December 2011
Pages 1572-1576

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History

  • Receive Date: 03 April 2011
  • Revise Date:
  • Accept Date: 06 April 2022

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