Lab 5: Hepatitis C

By: Elizabeth Jean

What is Hepatitis C?

     It's a liver infection caused by the Hepatitis C virus, and it can be spread multiple ways, but one can be through an infected person blood or body fluids. There are different stages of hepatitis C such as, Incubation period (14 to 80 days) which is the first exposure to the disease. Acute Hepatitis C, if it doesn't clear after 6 months on it's own it can turn into a long-term infection. Cirrhosis (20-30 years to happen) it leads to inflammation and can replace healthy liver cells. Last liver cancer, doctor will do regular screening. Also, cirrhosis can lead to liver cancer. The symptoms (usually last for 2-12 weeks), Loss of appetite, stomach pain, fatigue, dark urine, clay-colored poop, joint pain, jaundice (a condition that causes yellow eyes and skin, as well as dark urine), and more. The advanced Hepatitis C symptoms are, gallstones, kidney failure, weight loss, intense itching, muscle loss and more.

Treatments & Medication

  Liver transplant from a deceased donor, or a small amount from living donor (who donate a portion of their liver).

There are different types of medications such as,

• Daclastasvir (Daklinza) once a day with Sofosbuvir for 12 weeks, Ledipasvir-sofosbuvir  (Harvoni) once a day and will see results in 8-12 weeks. 
• Glecaprevir and pibrentasvir (mavyret) 3 tablets daily, not for the cirrhosis stage and previously treated.
• Ribavirin (copegus, moderiba, rebetol, ribasphere, virazole) 2x a day for 24-48 weeks or longer.
• Sofosbuvir (sovaldi) with intefferon and ribavirin 12 to 24 weeks.
• Ombitasvir-paritaprevir-ritonavir (technivie), take with ribavirin.
• Ombitasvir-paritaprevir-dasabuvir-ritonavir (viekira pack), 12-24 weeks, it's a combination of two pills. 
• Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir 9vosevi) with chronic HCV, either with no cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis. 
• Elbasvir-grazoprevir (zepatier) this has cured 97% of those treated. 

With any medication there are side effects such as headache, depression, hair loss, fatigue, and much more. 

Data/Stats

• 3.9 million people in the U.S. have the disease
• 2016 3,000 reported cases of acute HCV
• CDC estimates the actual number of acute HCV cases to be 41,000. Approximately 3.5 million people in the United States living with chronic HCV
• According to the WHO (World Health Organization) 
• 55%-85% will develop chronic HCV infection. 
• 15%-45% of people infected with HCV get better within 6 months without receiving treatments. 

Lastly, the reason I picked Hepatitis C is because my Mom was diagnosed with the disease after the birth of her third child because of a blood transfusion that was given to her. It was treated but, years later it turned into stage 4 liver cancer. Before this, she found out that she needed to do dialysis, but unfortunately she wasn't able to do that because of gallstones and having liver cancer. With all of these complications the only option the doctor gave her was chemo or do nothing. She didn't pick chemo because she wanted to have that time with her kids and not being under chemo for the remaining of her life. Unfortunately she only lived for 3 months after being diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer. It's scary how she received a bad blood transfusion and because of that she's no longer with us. She end up having 8 beautiful kids and now 25 grand kids, which 3 she didn't have a chance to meet. I hope now the blood transfusion they test the blood so this doesn't happen to another family.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=EB0E3B83A3CF49DE012AE58AC38B6FF9CE97C8F6&thid=OIP.-UoAFb9xYGpUN5bJGZaVwAHaEK&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.prod-carehubs.net%2Fn1%2F802899ec472ea3d8%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F06%2Fa-medical-illustration-of-the-effects-of-hepatitis-C-virus-on-the-liver-16X9-1024x576.jpg&exph=576&expw=1024&q=hepatitis+c&selectedindex=7&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=0,1,2,3,4,6,8,10

https://www.google.com/search?q=Data+of+Hepatitis+C+of+people+getting+hepatitis+C+from+blood+transfusion&client=firefox-b-ab&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiUibOUx97nAhXTLc0KHUz0BDEQ_AUoAnoECAwQBA&biw=838&bih=934#imgrc=29u_nVjB9SzIqM

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hepatitis-c/multimedia/vid-20078247

https://www.bing.com/search?q=hepatitis+c+webmd&pc=MZSL02&form=MOZLBR

https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/hepatitis-c-stages-progression#1

https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/digestive-diseases-hepatitis-c#1

https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/digestive-diseases-hepatitis-c#4

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hepatitis-c/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354284

https://www.healthline.com/health/hepatitis-c/facts-statistics-infographic#prevalence