Dr. Wu's liver diseases (Hepatitis, ...)

Chinese Medical Information Portal Website (Taiwan Medical Network-TMN) - OldDoc Wu's Series

(Established in March 1996) liver-diseases

HCV infection after needle-stick

Dr. Wu's Liver diseases
for professionals (medical students and residents)

(by Jau-Shin WU, M.D., Ph.D.)

(Posted Sep. 16, 1996; Updated May 14, 2009)

HCV infection after needle-stick

For consumers:

(Key words: HCV infection, needle-stick)

Only hepatitis C patient with higher anti-HCV titer has the possibility of infecting the needle stick victim.

For professionals:
*In 68 needle stick accidents
Index case: 68 cases were positive for both HCV-RNA and anti-HCV.
Victims: 68 cases were anti-HCV negative before accident.
*7 cases of 68 cases contracted with hepatitis C. (7/68=10 %)
1. Only one of seven cases showed increase in transaminase and anti-HCV (+)

2. The other six cases only had subclinical, self-limited, or transient course.
* Only hepatitis C patient with anti-HCV titer higher than 2.0 optical density has the significant possibility of infecting the needle stick victim.

(T.Mitsui, Hepatology, 1992;16:1109)

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(By Jau-Shin Wu, M.D.; Posted Sep. 16, 1996; Revised May 12, 2009)

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