Hepatitis B and C virus infections among patients with end stage renal disease in a low-resourced hemodialysis center in Vietnam: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Hemodialysis services in Vietnam are being decentralised outside of tertiary hospitals. To identify the challenges to infection control standards for the prevention of bloodborne infections including hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) we tested the magnitude of HBV and HCV infections in the largest unit in Ho Chi Minh City servicing patients with end stage renal disease. Methods: All 113 patients provided consent HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and HCV core antigen (HCV-coreAg) testing. Positive patients were tested for viral genotypes. All participants completed a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, risk factors and previous attendance to other hemodialysis units. Results: Seroprevalence of 113 patients enrolled was 7% (8/113, 95% CI 2.3%-11.8%) HBsAg, 6% (7/113, 95% CI 1.7%-10.6%) HCV-coreAg and 1% (1/113, 95% CI 0.8%-2.6%) co-infection. Having a HBV positive sexual partner significantly increased the risk of acquiring HBV (P=0.016, Odds Ratio (OR) =29, 95% CI 2-365). Risk factors for HCV included blood transfusion (P=0.049), multiple visits to different hemodialysis units (P=0.048, OR=5.7, 95% CI 1.2-27.5), frequency of hemodialysis (P=0.029) and AST plasma levels >40 IU/L (P=0.020, OR=19.8, 95% CI 2.3-171). On multivariate analysis only blood transfusion remained significant risk factor for HCV (P=0.027, adjusted OR=1.2). Conclusions: HCV screening for HCV of blood products must improve to meet the infection prevention challenges of decentralizing hemodialysis services. The level of HCV and HBV in our hemodialysis unit is a warning that universal precautions will be the next challenge for decentralised hemodialysis services in Vietnam. © 2015 Duong et al.; licensee BioMed Central.