Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education
Open Access

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: In Nigeria, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is primarily spread through injection drug use. There is an urgent need to improve access to care for HCV among persons with opioid use disorders who inject drugs. The purpose of our study was to determine the prevalence of HCV, patient characteristics and receipt of appropriate care in a sample of patients treated with Buprenorphine for their opioid use disorders in a primary care setting. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: This study is used in retrospective clinical data from the electronic medical record. The study population included patients receiving Buprenorphine in the Office based opioid treatment (Obot) clinic within the adult primary medicine clinic at Lagos medical center between October 2008 and August 2015 who received a conclusive HCV antibody Ab test within a year of clinic entry. We compared characteristics by HCV aerostats using Pearson’s chi-square and provided numbers/percentages receiving appropriate care. Result: The sample comprised 300 patients. slightly less than half of all patients (n=134, 27.7%) was HCV Ab positive and were significantly more likely to be older Hausas and Yoruba’s have diagnoses of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and bipolar disorder have prior heroin or cocaine use and be HIV-infected. Among the 134 HCV Ab positive patients, 126 (67.7%) had detectable HCV Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) indicating chronic HCV infection; only 8 patients (2.21%) with chronic HCV infection ever initiated treatment. Conclusions & Significance: Nearly half of patients (47.7%) receiving office-based treatment with Buprenorphine for their opioid use disorder had A-positive hepatitis C virus antibody screening test, although initiation of HCV treatment was nearly non-existent (2.21%).

Biography

Ayoola Samuel Abati has been practicing in Department of Infectious Disease at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Currently, he is pursuing his PhD and holds a certification from Nigerian Board of Internal Medicine for Internal Medicine, Hematology and Infectious Diseases. He has been awarded the award of the Developing Leader in Medicine from Nigerian Medical Association for his excellent contribution in general treatment and towards the reduction of infectious diseases in Nigeria. He has completed his MBBS from Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He has completed is Master’s degree in Public Health at the same institution. He was trained at the Department of Infectious Diseases during his Residency.

E-mail: ayoabati@yahoo.com