Acute hepatitis C treatment

There are no well established treatment guidelines about acute hepatitis C (AHC), leaving physicians to make several challenging decisions, such whether to treat, when to treat and what treatment regimens to use. This article examines the diagnosis of acute infection and critically appraises the various treatment regimens

PROFILE OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS C IN A PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) can progress to cirrhosis and its complications as hepatocellular carcinoma, leading to morbidity and mortality. To know the profile of patients with CHC virus is fundamental to optimize management. OBJECTIVE: To describe the profile of patients with CHC in a public health program in Southern Brazil. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out in patients with CHC who underwent treatment against hepatitis C virus in a dispensation and pharmaceutical assistance center of the Public Health Department of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, South Brazil. All medical records of patients attended between December/2015 and December/2016 were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 1,431 records of patients with CHC were evaluated. Males were the most prevalent (802; 56%) patients. The mean age was 58.6±9.9 years, ranging from 18 to 89 years. Genotype 1 was the most frequent (866;60.5%) of the patients. Ninety (6.3%) patients were transplanted from a solid organ, and of these, 73 (5.1%) were transplanted from the liver. The fibrosis evaluation was performed in 1,300 (90.8%) patients. Of these, 566 (39.6%) were evaluated through liver biopsy. Regarding the degree of fibrosis, 779 (54.4%) presented fibrosis grade 4 (cirrhosis). The genotype 3 was the most associated with fibrosis grade 4, and genotype 1 was associated with high viral load. CONCLUSION: The present study made possible the evaluation of the characteristics of patients with CHC in a public health program in South Brazil. There was a predominance of CHC in males, and the mean age was 59 years. They presented a predominance of genotype 1, higher viral load in patients with genotype 1 and greater degree of fibrosis in patients with genotype 3

Peritonite bacteriana espontânea: impacto das mudanças da microbiologia

RACIONAL: A peritonite bacteriana espontânea é uma complicação grave nos pacientes cirróticos com ascite, sendo as alterações das características microbiológicas relatadas nos últimos anos de impacto na escolha do tratamento antibiótico. OBJETIVO: Avaliar as mudanças na epidemiologia e na resistência antibiótica de bactérias causadoras de peritonite bacteriana espontânea em um período de 7 anos. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados retrospectivamente todos os casos de pacientes cirróticos com peritonite bacteriana espontânea cuja cultura do líquido de ascite foi positiva, sendo estudados dois períodos: 1997-1998 e 2002-2003. Foram verificados os microorganismos mais freqüentes e a sensibilidade in vitro aos antibióticos. RESULTADOS: No primeiro período (1997-1998) houve 33 casos, sendo 3 (9%) com infecção polimicrobiana. As bactérias mais freqüentes foram: E. coli em 13 (36,11%), estafilococos coagulase-negativos em 6 (16,66%), K. pneumoniae em 5 (13,88%), S. aureus em 4 (11,11%) e S. faecalis em 3 (8,33%). Em 2002-2003, houve 43 casos, sendo 2 (5%) com infecção polimicrobiana. As bactérias mais freqüentes foram: estafilococos coagulase-negativos em 16 (35,55%) S. aureus em 8 (17,77%), E. coli em 7 (15,55%) e K. pneumoniae em 3 (6,66%). Nenhum paciente realizava profilaxia para peritonite bacteriana espontânea. A prevalência de S. aureus meticilino-resistentes aumentou, no decorrer desse período, de 25% para 75%, tendo a resistência desse patógeno às quinolonas e a sulfametoxazol-trimetoprim evoluído de 25% para 50%; somente a vancomicina demonstrou atividade absoluta no decorrer do referido período. Da mesma forma, a prevalência de E. coli resistente às cefalosporinas de terceira geração e às quinolonas aumentou de 0% para 16%. CONCLUSÃO: Houve modificação da população bacteriana causadora de peritonite bacteriana espontânea, com freqüência aumentada de microorganismos gram-positivos, bem como houve aumento da resistência aos antibióticos tradicionalmente utilizados. O estudo sugere a provável iminente inclusão de droga eficaz contra gram-positivos no tratamento empírico da peritonite bacteriana espontânea

PROGRESSION OF LIVER FIBROSIS IN MONOINFECTED PATIENTS BY HEPATITIS C VIRUS AND COINFECTED BY HCV AND HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS

Context The progression of liver fibrosis in patients coinfected by hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus (HCV/HIV) has been increasingly studied in the past decade. Studies made before the highly active antiretroviral therapy suggest that HIV can change the natural history of the HCV infection, leading to a faster progression of the liver fibrosis. Objective To evaluate and compare the fibrosis progression in two groups of patients (HCV/HIV coinfected and HCV monoinfected) Methods Seventy patients HCV monoinfected and 26 patients HCV/HIV coinfected who had not undertaken HCV treatment and were submitted to serial percutaneous liver biopsies were retrospectively evaluated. There was no difference in the fibrosis progression between the two groups. Conclusion The fibrosis grade evolution was not worse in the coinfected patients. The immunosuppression absence and the shortest time period between the biopsies in the coinfected group are possible explanations.<br> Contexto A progress&#227;o da fibrose hep&#225;tica em pacientes coinfectados pelos v&#237;rus da hepatite C (VHC) e da imunodefici&#234;ncia humana (VHC/HIV) tem sido mais estudada na &#250;ltima d&#233;cada. Estudos realizados antes da terapia antiretroviral de alta pot&#234;ncia (HAART) sugerem que o HIV pode mudar a hist&#243;ria natural da infec&#231;&#227;o pelo VHC, levando a uma progress&#227;o mais r&#225;pida da fibrose hep&#225;tica. Objetivo Avaliar e comparar a progress&#227;o de fibrose em duas popula&#231;&#245;es de pacientes (coinfectados VHC/HIV e monoinfectados VHC). M&#233;todos Foram avaliados retrospectivamente 70 pacientes monoinfectados VHC e 26 coinfectados VHC/HIV nunca tratados para o VHC e que haviam realizado duas biopsias hep&#225;ticas seriadas. N&#227;o houve diferen&#231;a na progress&#227;o de fibrose entre os dois grupos. Conclus&#227;o A evolu&#231;&#227;o do grau de fibrose n&#227;o foi pior nos pacientes coinfectados. A aus&#234;ncia de imunodepress&#227;o e o menor intervalo de tempo entre as biopsias no grupo de coinfectados s&#227;o poss&#237;veis justificativas

Percutaneous liver biopsy - 2 decades of experience in a public hospital in the South of Brazil

Introduction. Liver biopsy is a complementary method for diagnosis, staging and therapeutic guidance in liver diseases, where chronic viral hepatitis are the most acknowledged causes for the indication of histopa-thological study. The objective is to assess the patients’ profile as well as the indication and results of percutaneous liver biopsies in a tertiary hospital.Material and methods. A descriptive, cross-section study was carried out through the review of medical charts (retrospective cohort) of patients submitted to blind percutaneous liver biopsies (PLB) at a hospital in Porto Alegre, South Brazil, from October 1993 to December 2011.Results. 1,955 PLB were carried out, the mean patients’ age was 44.8 years old, and 1,127 (57.65%) were men. Chronic hepatitis C was the main indication (60.5%), followed by HCV-HIV coinfection (12.2%) and chronic hepatitis B (3.5%). Seven cases (0.3%) had complications, without deaths.Conclusion. PLB is a safe method and continues to be an important option to assist patients with chronic liver disease

IMPACT OF MICROBIOLOGICAL CHANGES ON SPONTANEOUS BACTERIAL PERITONITIS IN THREE DIFFERENT PERIODS OVER 17 YEARS

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is a serious complication in cirrhotic patients, and changes in the microbiological characteristics reported in the last years are impacting the choice of antibiotic used for treatment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the changes in the epidemiology and bacterial resistance of the germs causing spontaneous bacterial peritonitis over three different periods over 17 years. METHODS: All cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and positive culture of ascites fluid were retrospectively studied in a reference Hospital in Southern Brazil. Three periods were ramdomly evaluated: 1997-1998, 2002-2003 and 2014-2015. The most frequent infecting organisms and the sensitivity in vitro to antibiotics were registered. RESULTS: In the first period (1997-1998) there were 33 cases, the most common were: E. coli in 13 (36.11%), Staphylococcus coagulase-negative in 6 (16.66%), K. pneumoniae in 5 (13.88%), S. aureus in 4 (11.11%) and S. faecalis in 3 (8.33%). In the second period (2002-2003), there were 43 cases, the most frequent were: Staphylococus coagulase-negative in 16 (35.55%), S. aureus in 8 (17.77%), E. coli in 7 (15.55%) and K. pneumoniae in 3 (6.66%). In the third period (2014-2015) there were 58 cases (seven with two bacteria), the most frequent were: E. coli in 15 (23.1%), S. viridans in 12 (18.5%), K. pneumoniae in 10 (15.4%) and E. faecium 5 (7.7%). No one was using antibiotic prophylaxis. Considering all staphylococci, the prevalence increased to rates of the order of 50% in the second period, with a reduction in the third period evaluated. Likewise, the prevalence of resistant E. coli increased, reaching 14%. CONCLUSION: There was a modification of the bacterial population causing spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, with high frequency of gram-positive organisms, as well as an increase in the resistance to the traditionally recommended antibiotics. This study suggests a probable imminent inclusion of a drug against gram-positive organisms in the empiric treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis