Hepatitis Central

The latest research & treatment news about Hepatitis C infection, diagnosis, symptoms and treatments.

  GASTROENTEROLOGY 1998;114:869-870

Hepatitis C "Lookback" Effort Misguided, Critics Charge

As many as 250,000 Americans who received blood transfusions as long ago as 1987 will be notified that they may have been infected with Hepatitis C (HCV).

Under the "targeted HCV lookback" program approved by Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, individuals who received blood that subsequently tested positive for Hepatitis C, using an effective test that was developed in 1992, will be contacted and urged to get tested for the virus.

The lookback program will involve thousands of hospital workers at a cost that could exceed $200 million, according to Frederic Shaw, editor of Hepatitis Control Report, a quarterly publication devoted to news on the control of viral hepatitis.

"Shalala's move marks a turning point in federal blood policy and culminates 9 years of debate about HCV lookback in the public health and blood banking communities," Shaw says.

Although Shalala agreed with the congressional Subcommittee on Human Resources and Health and Human Services advisory panel that persons exposed to HCV through blood transfusions have a right to know of the exposure, Shaw points out that many critics of the initiative believe it is a misguided effort.

"Even before 1992, 95% of Hepatitis C was totally unrelated to transfusions," says one such critic, Paul Holland of the Sacramento Blood Center. "We should be focusing on a public health campaign aimed at the vast majority of cases that are not transmitted by transfusions. Instead, with an estimated 4 million people out there with the virus, we're spending an enormous amount of time and money trying to identify a handful of people who may have been infected, and who probably aren't going to spread it since they're not typically the ones sharing needles or having multiple sex partners."

Proponents of lookback argue that improvements in HCV therapy make notification of the transfusion recipients worthwhile. But Holland notes that the treatment is expensive. "Who's going to pay for it?" he asks. "There's no impetus to appropriate the millions of dollars it's going to take."

GASTROENTEROLOGY 1998;114:869-870

© 1998 by The American Gastroenterological Association

Table of Contents

Site Topics

  • HCV Symptoms

    You'll find links to a comprehensive symptoms list, as well as various studies and discussions about Hepatitis C symptoms.

  • Lab Tests

    What they are and what they mean. Helps you interpret & understand all the various hepatitis lab tests likely to be encountered.

  • Hepatitis C Genotypes

    Learn about Hepatitis C Genotypes and their variants.

  • Viral Load

    Provides detailed information on how to analyze and interpret viral load numbers as well as a link to a convenient Viral Load Chart.

  • What is...?

    Learn more about various Hepatitis C related topics, including HCV, Ascites, Biopsies, and much more.

  • HCV Medicines

    Numerous links to studies, info sheets, FAQs, and analysis of Ribavirin/Rebetron medicines.

  • Glossary

    Commonly used medical terms and definitions.

  • Hepatitis C Doctors

    A state-by-state and worldwide reference listing physicians who treat HCV, including an email link to submit your physician for inclusion.

  • Biopsy Info

    A comprehensive resource of information relating to the liver biopsy.

  • Cirrhosis

    Many discussions and analyses of cirrhosis, including causes, complications, pathology, symptoms, and much more.

  • Liver Cancer

    Liver Cancer/Hepatocellular Carcinoma studies, info sheets, FAQs, and analysis.

  • Liver Disease Medicines

    An exhaustive list of links to studies, info sheets, FAQs, and analysis of the various drugs used to treat liver disease.

  • Hep-Central Email List

    Sign up to learn about advances and breakthroughs in Hepatitis C research, including information about medical and complementary treatments.

  • HCV Links

    Convenient links to other sites external to Hepatitis-Central.

  • HCV Transmission

    Information about the transmission of Hepatitis C.

  • HCV Natural Remedies

    A number of herbal products useful in the management of liver disease.

  • HCV Books

    Recommended reading for those interested in hepatitis information.

  • Hepatitis C Forum

    A Bulletin Board for discussions on hepatitis, treatments, etc.

  • Hepatitis C Activism

    An easy way to get involved in urging our government to do more for Hepatitis C awareness and treatment research.

Advertisement

Advertisement