Hepatitis C

Research Paper # 99840

Medical and Health

Hepatitis C

An overview of the causes of Hepatitis C and why they are so difficult to control.

2,537 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

Hepatitis C infection is extremely difficult to eradicate even though the available treatment is effective. This paper attempts to answer the question of why the hepatitis C infection so difficult to control when there is an effective treatment for it. It discusses prevalence and incidence rates and the natural history of hepatitis C. It also looks at the agent, host and mode of transmission as well as implications for nursing.

Outline
Introduction
Agent
Host
Natural history
Implications for Nursing
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"On a global basis, more than 170 million people are chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus, which is responsible for more than 100,000 cases of liver cancer per year. Hepatitis C infection is associated with similarly high numbers of digestive hemorrhage and ascites problems. Chronic liver diseases are responsible for 1.4 million deaths annually, of which 796,000 are caused by cirrhosis and 616,000 by primary liver cancer. At least 280,000 or 20 percent of those deaths are probably attributable to HCV infection (Poynard & Yuen, 2003). The highest prevalence of hepatitis C infection is found among injection drug users (Sulkowski & Thomas, 2005)."

Sample of Sources Used:

Amin, J. & Law, M. (2006). Causes of death after diagnosis of hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection. The Lancet, 368 (9539), 938-946.
CJMA (1997). Hepatitis C. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 156 (10), 1427.
Chin, J. (2000). Control of communicable diseases. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association.
El Saadany, S. & Tepper, M. (2002). An epidemiologic study of hepatocellular carcinoma in Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 93 (6), 443-447.
Poynard, T. & Yuen, M. (2003). Viral hepatitis C. The Lancet, 362 (9401), 2095-2098.