Cent Eur J Public Health 2009, 17(1):31-35 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3489

Reassessment of Selected Healthcare Associated Risk Factors for HBV and HCV Infections among Volunteer Blood Donors, Karachi, Pakistan

Muhammad Younus1, Azfar-e-Alam Siddiqi1, Saeed Akhtar2
1 Dept. of Epidemiology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, USA
2 Dept. of Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, Kuwait University, Kuwait and Dept. of Community Health Sciences, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan

Epidemiologic studies conducted in the 1990s identified several independent healthcare associated risk factors for HBV and HCV infections in Pakistan. In 2002, we re-examined healthcare associated HBV and/or HCV infection risk factors in volunteer blood donors.
In this case-control study, we collected data using a structured questionnaire on socioeconomic attributes, putative healthcare related risk factors, and other known factors for HBV and HCV infections in Karachi, Pakistan.
The multivariable logistic-regression model (166 cases, 394 controls) after adjusting for socio-demographic attributes and other known HBV and HCV risk factors revealed that more cases than controls had multiple lifetime hospitalization, adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.48; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04,5.94, and had received dental treatment from an unqualified provider (AOR=5.90, CI, 1.66,21.02). More cases than controls had received a large number of therapeutic injections during the last 5 years (1-5 injections vs. 0, AOR=2.64, 95% CI 1.06,6.60; 6-19 injections vs. 0, AOR=4.09, 95% CI 1.59,10.51; ≥20 injections vs. 0,AOR=4.34, 95% CI 1.70,11.07), and had their last injection given using a re-usable glass syringe (AOR=3.41 CI 1.13,10.29).
Our data suggest that risk factors for HBV and HCV infections identified in the last decade have remained unchanged in healthcare facilities in Karachi. Additional multi-disciplinary efforts are needed to control healthcare associated HBV and HCV transmission in Pakistan.

Keywords: healthcare, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, risk factors, blood donors, developing countries, Pakistan

Received: March 25, 2008; Revised: June 24, 2008; Accepted: June 24, 2008; Published: March 1, 2009  Show citation

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Younus M, Siddiqi A, Akhtar S. Reassessment of Selected Healthcare Associated Risk Factors for HBV and HCV Infections among Volunteer Blood Donors, Karachi, Pakistan. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2009;17(1):31-35. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a3489. PubMed PMID: 19418717.
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