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Over one-third of GPs "failing to diagnose Hep C" PDF Print E-mail
Saturday, 16 August 2008 00:28

A survey has revealed that more than one third of doctors in general practice are unable to read their patients' hepatitis C results.

This figure is exacerbated by a failure to follow up with patients even when they have been correctly interpreted, according to a survey of 200 GPs by ICM Healthcare on behalf of The Hepatitis C Trust.

Some people who contract the disease suffer mild to more serious symptoms but one in five will clear the virus naturally. In about 20% of cases cirrhosis of the liver will develop over a period of 20 years or more.

Almost a third of GPs (32%) do not actively follow up with patients who test positive for hepatitis C and more than two-thirds (77%) said they did not consider infectious diseases to be a major threat to public health.

The only drug treatment for the disease is successful in only half of cases when administered during chronic infection. Success rates among those treated early after infection are significantly higher at around 90%.

Charles Gore, chief executive of The Hepatitis C Trust, said: "GPs must take some responsibility to ensure patients with hepatitis C are not left undiagnosed.

"More must be done to equip GPs with the right information so they can correctly identify those who should be offered a hepatitis C test and interpret any result correctly."

The poll was funded by pharmaceutical company Roche.

http://www.managementinpractice.com 

Comments (3)add comment
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written by jamespeter , August 21, 2008

Generally more than one third of doctors are unable to understand the hepatitis c cases.This is very bad thing.
I have a doubt.Can anybody help me who knows much better about hepatitis c?
Is this spread by hugging,touching and kissing? and Is it spread by sharing food and drinks?
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jamespeter
North Carolina Drug Treatment
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written by a scribe , August 21, 2008

Hepatitis C is only spread through direct blood to blood contact which means that infected blood must exit the body and then enter the blood stream of another person before it can be transmitted. It is not spread by huggin, touching, kissing or by sharing food or drinks. I hope this helps.
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written by a scribe , August 21, 2008

Just correcting a possible typo error I noticed; "Cirrhosis of the liver may occur in 7% of people who remain untreated after 20 years with hep c and in 20% of people who remain untreated after 40 years".
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