Care to patients with hepatitis C who were treated with viral agents in the Limousin region

Aims: To compare the care given to patients with hepatitis C who were treated with antiviral agents in the Limousin region in 2000 with respect to the February 1999 and February 2002 consensus conference guidelines. Put into place a training and information action plan for both healthcare professionals and patients. Method: We performed a cross-sectional, retrospective survey on all patients who were treated with antiviral agents for hepatitis C in 2000. The patients were located by using the healthfund’s computer database. Clinical information (social and demographic characteristics, risk factors for contamination, therapeutic and prognostic factors and outcome following treatment) was gathered directly from their hospital medical records or from the physicians who prescribed their antiviral agents. Results: In 2000, 129 patients received antiviral treatment. We were able to study a total of 122 patients. The most frequently encountered risk factors were drug addiction (55 patients) and a blood transfusion (43 patients). Attending physicians did not systematically perform a pre-therapeutic workup for HIV, hepatitis B or alcohol abuse. 90.2 % of the patients received bi-therapy (interferon, ribavirine); 47.6 % of them had undetectable viral loads at least six months following the end of treatment. Conclusion: The long-term therapeutic responses with respect to viral load were comparable to or even superior to published reports. Nevertheless, a certain number of patients’ medical records did not contain part of all of the pertinent treatment information recommended by the consensus conference.