Management of Hepatitis C: A Practical Primer for Nurses.

Nurses have been at the forefront of the care of patients with hepatitis C since hepatitis C virus was identified in 1989. Treatments of patients with hepatitis C have evolved over the time to the present moment, where there are numerous options available for patients that are efficacious, simple, and well-tolerated. However, many patients with hepatitis C do not know they are infected or have never been treated. Nurses can continue to influence patients' engagement in their care, direct patients toward testing, and support them through their treatment and follow-up. This article discusses the role of the nurse in the management of hepatitis C and offers the most up-to-date information regarding the current standards of care for patients, from identifying patients for testing to managing patients through treatment and follow-up.

Missed Diagnosis of Liver Cirrhosis Leads to Disparities in Care for Older Patients.

BACKGROUND: Cirrhosis of the liver is often not recognized until late in the disease state, when patients decompensate or develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This inquiry considered factors associated with undiagnosed cirrhosis. METHODS: Patients with undiagnosed cirrhosis were compared to patients with known diagnosis of cirrhosis, to evaluate the differences between these two groups. The study population is patients with confirmed diagnosis of HCC, stratified into patients with known diagnosis of cirrhosis (n = 36) and patients without the known diagnosis of cirrhosis who have features of cirrhosis (n = 36). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in insurance, gender, race, etiology of liver disease, presence of splenomegaly, model for end stage liver disease (MELD) score, fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI) scores between groups. However, the strongest predictor of the diagnosis of cirrhosis was age, with older patients being less likely to be diagnosed with cirrhosis (OR: 0.924, P = 0.012). Furthermore, tumor size in patients without known cirrhosis was larger than those diagnosed with cirrhosis (median: 4.9 cm versus 3.5 cm, P = 0.015). Of note, 50% of cases with cirrhosis were undiagnosed. CONCLUSION: Older age was the most significant predictor of the missed diagnosis of liver cirrhosis. This led to a larger tumor size at diagnosis, which may imply worse prognosis in these patients. Further evaluation of health disparities related to older age and outcomes of older patients with liver cirrhosis should guide the development of guidelines to prevent the missed diagnosis of cirrhosis.

Association Between Vitamin D Levels and Treatment Response to Direct-Acting Antivirals in Chronic Hepatitis C: A Real-World Study.

BACKGROUND: Low serum vitamin D levels in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is associated with advanced liver fibrosis; and there remains an imprecise relationship with the treatment response based on the vitamin D levels. Previous studies have shown conflicting results on the vitamin D levels, and association with treatment response in CHC treated with interferon-based regimens. METHODS: Patients with CHC treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) between January 2016 and December 2017 in the community clinic setting were retrospectively analyzed. Pretreatment baseline patient characteristics, treatment efficacy with the sustained virologic response at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR 12) were assessed in CHC patients with deficient, insufficient, and normal levels of vitamin D measured before the initiation of DAA therapy. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-one patients were included in the study. Direct-acting antivirals included in the study were ledipasvir/sofosbuvir ± ribavirin, ombitasvir + paritaprevir + ritonavir + dasabuvir ± ribavirin, and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir. An overall sustained virologic response was achieved in 95% (n = 276) of patients. SVR 12 rates among patients with vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D insufficiency and normal vitamin D levels were 92%, 96.2%, and 97.2% respectively and was not statically significant (P = 0.214). A total of 71 patients were cirrhotic. The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency (20 - 29.9 ng/mL) and deficiency (< 20 ng/mL) was significantly higher in cirrhotic patients (P = 0.01). Despite this, pretreatment vitamin D levels did not show any impact on the virologic response. The most common adverse effect observed was fatigue. None of the patients had to discontinue the treatment due to adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: DAAs are safe and effective with a high overall SVR 12 in CHC and treatment response does not depend on the pretreatment vitamin D levels. The prevalence of both vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency was observed to be higher in cirrhotic cohorts compared to non-cirrhotic counterparts.

A delayed presentation of splenic laceration and hemoperitoneum following an elective colonoscopy: A rare complication with uncertain risk factors.

Splenic laceration is a rare yet often underreported complication of colonoscopy that is infrequently discussed with the patient during the consent process. Most cases present within 48 h after the inciting colonoscopy; a delayed presentation is rare. We present a case of splenic laceration with hemoperitoneum that manifested 5 days after the initial colonoscopy. The patient was treated conservatively. Traditionally perceived risk factors such as intra-abdominal adhesions, splenomegaly, anticoagulation use, biopsy, polypectomy, a technically challenging procedure, and anesthesia assistance have not been clearly shown to increase the incidence of splenic injury following a colonoscopy. Since the risk factors of splenic injury remain unclear, the clinical presentation is nonspecific, and the consequences can be serious, the endoscopist should make an effort to inform the patient of this rare complication before the procedure.

Sofosbuvir based regimens in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection in African-American patients: a community-based retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs have been highly effective in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection. Limited data exist comparing the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of DAAs in African-American (AA) patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 (HCV GT-1) in the community practice setting. We aim to evaluate treatment response of DAAs in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All the HCV GT-1 patients treated with DAAs between January 2014 and January 2018 in a community clinic setting were retrospectively analyzed. Pretreatment baseline patient characteristics, treatment efficacy with a sustained virologic response at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12), and adverse reactions were assessed. RESULTS: Two-hundred seventy-eight patients of AA descent were included in the study. One-hundred sixty-two patients were treated with ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (SOF)±ribavirin, 38 were treated with simeprevir/SOF±ribavirin, and 38 patients were treated with SOF/velpatasvir. Overall, SVR at 12 weeks was achieved in 94.6% in patients who received one of the three DAA regimens (93.8% in ledipasvir/SOF group, 92.1% in simeprevir/SOF group, and 97.4% in SOF/velpatasvir group). Previous treatment experience, HCV RNA levels and HIV status had no statistical significance on overall SVR achievement (P=0.905, 0.680, and 0.425, respectively). Compensated cirrhosis in each of the treatment groups did not influence overall SVR of 12. The most common adverse effect was fatigue (27%). None of the patients discontinued the treatment because of adverse events. CONCLUSION: In the real-world setting, DAAs are safe, effective, and well tolerated in African-American patients with chronic HCV GT-1 infection with a high overall SVR rate of 94.6%. Treatment rates did not differ on the basis of previous treatment and compensated cirrhosis status.

Real-World Clinical Efficacy and Tolerability of Direct-Acting Antivirals in Hepatitis C Monoinfection Compared to Hepatitis C/Human Immunodeficiency Virus Coinfection in a Community Care Setting.

Background/Aims: Limited data exist comparing the safety and efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) monoinfected and HCV/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfected patients in the real-world clinic practice setting. Methods: All HCV monoinfected and HCV/HIV coinfected patients treated with DAAs between January 2014 and October 2017 in community clinic settings were retrospectively analyzed. Pretreatment baseline patient characteristics, treatment efficacy, factors affecting sustained virologic response at 12 weeks (SVR12) after treatment, and adverse reactions were compared between the groups. Results: A total of 327 patients were included in the study, of which 253 were HCV monoinfected, and 74 were HCV/HIV coinfected. There was a statistically significant difference observed in SVR12 when comparing HCV monoinfection and HCV/HIV coinfection (94% and 84%, respectively, p=0.005). However, there were no significant factors identified as a predictor of a reduced response. The most common adverse effect was fatigue (27%). No significant drug interaction was observed between DAA and antiretroviral therapy. None of the patients discontinued the treatment due to adverse events. Conclusions: In a real-world setting, DAA regimens have lower SVR12 in HCV/HIV coinfection than in HCV monoinfection. Further studies involving a higher number of HCV/HIV coinfected patients are needed to identify real predictors of a reduced response.

An Unusual Presentation of Glycogenic Hepatopathy with Bridging Fibrosis.

Glycogenic hepatopathy is a rare and under-recognized complication of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. We report a patient who presented with predominant elevation in alkaline phosphatase and liver biopsy showing bridging fibrosis, which is an unusual presentation of glycogenic hepatopathy. This case emphasizes the fact that glycogenic hepatopathy can also present with a cholestatic pattern of liver abnormality and with liver fibrosis, which warrants further study because severe fibrosis can progress to cirrhosis.

Direct-Acting Antivirals in Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype 4 Infection in Community Care Setting.

BACKGROUND: Limited data exists comparing the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 4 (HCV GT-4) in the community practice setting. We aim to evaluate the treatment response of DAAs in these patients. METHODS: All the HCV GT-4 patients treated with DAAs between January 2014 and October 2017 in a community clinic setting were retrospectively analyzed. Pretreatment baseline patient characteristics, treatment efficacy with sustained virologic response (SVR) at 12 weeks post treatment (SVR12), and adverse reactions were assessed. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients of Middle Eastern (primarily Egyptian) descent were included in the study. Thirty-two patients were treated with ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (Harvoni®) ± ribavirin, 12 patients were treated with ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir/dasabuvir (ViekiraPak®) ± ribavirin, and eight patients were treated with sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir (Epclusa®). Ten patients (19.2%) had compensated cirrhosis. Overall, SVR at 12 weeks was achieved in 94% in patients who received one of the three DAA regimens (93.8% in Harvoni® group, 91.7 % in ViekiraPak® group and 100% in Epclusa® group). Prior treatment status and type of regimen used in the presence of compensated cirrhosis had no statistical significance on overall SVR achievement (P value = 0.442 and P value = 0.091, respectively). The most common adverse effect was fatigue (27%). CONCLUSIONS: In the real-world setting, DAAs are effective and well tolerated in patients with chronic HCV GT-4 infection with a high overall SVR rate of 94%. Large-scale studies are needed to further assess this SVR in these groups.

Glycogenic hepatopathy: A narrative review.

Glycogenic hepatopathy (GH) is a rare complication of the poorly controlled diabetes mellitus characterized by the transient liver dysfunction with elevated liver enzymes and associated hepatomegaly caused by the reversible accumulation of excess glycogen in the hepatocytes. It is predominantly seen in patients with longstanding type 1 diabetes mellitus and rarely reported in association with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although it was first observed in the pediatric population, since then, it has been reported in adolescents and adults with or without ketoacidosis. The association of GH with hyperglycemia in diabetes has not been well established. One of the essential elements in the pathophysiology of development of GH is the wide fluctuation in both glucose and insulin levels. GH and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are clinically indistinguishable, and latter is more prevalent in diabetic patients and can progress to advanced liver disease and cirrhosis. Gradient dual-echo MRI can distinguish GH from NAFLD; however, GH can reliably be diagnosed only by liver biopsy. Adequate glycemic control can result in complete remission of clinical, laboratory and histological abnormalities. There has been a recent report of varying degree of liver fibrosis identified in patients with GH. Future studies are required to understand the biochemical defects underlying GH, noninvasive, rapid diagnostic tests for GH, and to assess the consequence of the fibrosis identified as severe fibrosis may progress to cirrhosis. Awareness of this entity in the medical community including specialists is low. Here we briefly reviewed the English literature on pathogenesis involved, recent progress in the evaluation, differential diagnosis, and management.

Diagnosis and Management of Hepatitis C Infection in Primary Care Settings.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant health problem worldwide, and is the leading cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation in the United States. The management of HCV has changed significantly over the last 5 years, as treatments have become simpler and more efficacious. Medication efficacy is now greater than 90%, with a high barrier to resistance and few side effects. This review is a collaboration between primary care and hepatology providers to explore all aspects of HCV management: acute versus chronic HCV infection, transmission and testing, and diagnosis and treatment. Specific medications for the treatment of HCV infection are considered, and patient and medication factors including genotype, liver disease status, and comorbidities affecting medication choice are discussed. This is a new era for the management of HCV infection, and interested primary care physicians, family doctors, and general internists can be at the forefront of diagnosis, management, and treatment of HCV.

Seronegative Autoimmune Hepatitis A Clinically Challenging Difficult Diagnosis.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a complex liver disease of unknown cause which results in immune-mediated liver injury with varied clinical presentations. Seronegative AIH follows a similar course to autoantibody-positive disease and diagnosis may be challenging. There are no single serologic tests of sufficient diagnostic specificity, and delay in appropriate treatment may lead to progression of the liver disease and liver failure. The revised conventional diagnostic criteria (RDC) scoring for AIH is complex and not routinely used in the clinical practice. The more recent simplified diagnostic criteria (SDC) scoring proposed by International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group in 2008 has wider application in routine practice facilitating the diagnosis of AIH with a specificity and sensitivity of ~90%. In this report, we describe a case of seronegative autoimmune hepatitis diagnosed using RDC. SDC score calculated in our case was 4 and was not diagnostic for AIH. We subsequently used the complex revised diagnostic criteria for definitive diagnosis. Some of the patients previously diagnosed as cryptogenic active hepatitis of unknown etiology probably had an unrecognized diagnosis of seronegative autoimmune hepatitis. SDC scoring may not be applicable in patients with seronegative autoimmune hepatitis. These patients should be reassessed by using RDC.

Clinical efficacy and tolerability of direct-acting antivirals in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of evidence-based data on aged patients with newer direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and with shorter duration of treatment regimens involving DAAs with or without ribavirin (RBV) and pegylated interferon (Peg IFN). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Medical records of 240 patients treated with DAAs with or without Peg IFN and RBV between January 2013 and July 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups: patients aged 65 years and older (N=84) and patients aged younger than 65 years (N=156). Pretreatment baseline patient characteristics, treatment efficacy, factors affecting sustained virologic response at 12 weeks after treatment, and adverse reactions were compared between the groups. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was observed with end of treatment response (98.8 vs. 98%, P=0.667) and sustained virologic response at 12 weeks after treatment (93.1 vs. 94.1%, P=0.767) between patients aged 65 and older and those younger than 65 years of age. Fatigue was the most common adverse event recorded (32.5%), followed by anemia (19.6%), leukopenia (11.7%), thrombocytopenia (10%), skin rash (8.3%), and headache (7.9%). The RBV dose was reduced in eight (8%) patients and four patients discontinued the RBV treatment because of severe anemia. RBV dose reduction or discontinuation did not reach statistical significance (P=0.913). Increased fibrosis, cirrhosis, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, hemoglobin, and platelet levels seem to affect the sustained virologic response in the elderly. Twelve (6.28%) patients failed to respond to treatment and the failure rate was not significant (P=0.767) between the groups. CONCLUSION: DAAs with or without IFN and RBV in the standard recommended 12 or 24-week treatment regimens are effective, well tolerated, and may be safely extended to elderly patients infected with chronic hepatitis C.

Non-necrotizing colonic granuloma induced by schistosomiasis.

Schistosomiasis is an important parasitic disease with various clinical presentations caused by trematode blood flukes. It can present with asymptomatic, chronic colonic ulcerations, strictures, or inflammatory mass causing bowel obstruction. Intestinal polyps are uncommon and induced by antigens released from the schistosome eggs that trigger a cell-mediated inflammatory response with granuloma formation involving T cells, macrophages, and necrosis. This is very relevant while evaluating chronic intermittent gastrointestinal symptoms and eosinophilia in an immigrant patient from endemic areas of schistosomiasis. Here, we describe a case of chronic intestinal schistosomiasis which was found to have schistosomiasis-induced colonic polyp with non-necrotizing granuloma. With increase in immigrant population from the endemic areas of schistosomiasis in the United States, physicians should be aware of this disease and its various manifestations. Gastroenterologist should keep this as one of the differentials for colonic polyps. Diagnosis and treatment in time prevents further progression of the disease and its complications.

Autoimmune hepatitis induced by nitrofurantoin. The importance of the autoantibodies for an early diagnosis of immune disease.

Nitrofurantoin has been in use since 1953 as an effective agent for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection. It is associated with a wide range of adverse drug reactions. Chronic active hepatitis has increasingly been observed and many cases have been reported with case fatalities. We present a case of nitrofurantoin induced chronic active hepatitis and briefly review the serology and clinico pathological features of 57 similar cases reported in English literature. The consistent presence of antinuclear antibody, anti smooth muscle antibody, elevated immunoglobulin and pathological feature suggests an immunologic mechanism. Complete recovery is possible in most cases if medication is discontinued in time. Steroids may play a role in management if no improvement occurs despite discontinuation of medication. We suggest all patients who are on prolonged nitrofurantoin therapy be followed up with anti nuclear antibody, anti smooth muscle antibody, serum immunoglobulin and hepatic panel every three months.

Open carpal tunnel release--still a safe and effective operation.

BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common cause of neurological symptomatology. Surgical decompression remains the treatment of choice in patients not responding to conservative therapies. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of standard open decompression by analysis of symptomatic and functional improvement and to assess whether a general surgeon can still perform this operation safely. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing standard open carpal tunnel release by a single general surgeon were recruited. A self-administered Boston questionnaire was used to assess symptom severity and functional status pre- and post-surgical intervention. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients (51 hands) underwent carpal tunnel release and 32 patients completed the questionnaire. 88% had a significant reduction in the symptom severity score, while improvement in function status score was achieved in 79% of patients. Mean symptom severity score improved from 3.41 points preoperatively to 1.85 (p < 0.0001) points at the last follow up examination, while the mean function status score improved from 2.73 to 1.99 points (p < 0.0001). Outcome was poor in six patients with slight worsening of either symptom or function status score. Three patients were treated conservatively for minor wound infection without long-term sequelae. DISCUSSION: Standard open carpal tunnel release still provides efficacious symptomatic relief with a low risk of associated complications when performed by a general surgeon.