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The World Health Organization estimated that in 2000, 66,000 hepatitis B, 16,000 hepatitis C, and 1,000 HIV infections were caused by needlestick injuries. [ 4 ] [ 2 ] [ 7 ] In places with higher rates of blood-borne diseases in the general population, healthcare workers are more susceptible to contracting these diseases from a needlestick injury.
Chronic hepatitis C is defined as infection with the hepatitis C virus persisting for more than six months based on the presence of its RNA. [18] Chronic infections are typically asymptomatic during the first few decades, [ 18 ] and thus are most commonly discovered following the investigation of elevated liver enzyme levels or during a routine ...
Mar. 14—Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus. It is becoming a big public health concern in many counties, including Lawrence County, encouraging us to review some ...
Blood for blood transfusion is screened for many blood-borne diseases. Additionally, a technique that uses a combination of riboflavin and UV light to inhibit the replication of these pathogens by altering their nucleic acids can be used to treat blood components prior to their transfusion, and can reduce the risk of disease transmission.
Almost 50% of people who participate in IVDU have Hepatitis C. [10] Not only are blood borne diseases passed via needle sharing, but so are bacterial infections that can ultimately cause sepsis. [6] Additionally, improper disposal of hospital needles can expose drug resistant organisms to the outside environment.
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) [3] is a small (55–65 nm in size), enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae. The hepatitis C virus is the cause of hepatitis C and some cancers such as liver cancer ( hepatocellular carcinoma , abbreviated HCC) and lymphomas in humans.
Chronic hepatitis C progresses towards cirrhosis, with estimates of cirrhosis prevalence of 16% at 20 years after infection. [125] While the major causes of mortality in hepatitis C is end stage liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma is an important additional long term complication and cause of death in chronic hepatitis.
The spread of HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C from injection drug use is a common health problem, [37] in particular contributing to over half of new HIV cases in North America in 1994. [ 7 ] Other infections may occur when pathogens enter the body through the injection site, most commonly due to improper cleaning of the site before injection.