Hepatitis C And The United States

This research paper is going to review today’s silent killer, the Hepatitis C virus. This paper will talk about the description of the disease, the signs and symptoms, the etiology and risk factors, diagnostic studies, treatments and prognosis of this disease. I had lived with this disease for over ten years before diagnosed so it is important to understand the signs and symptoms so the disease can be identified and a treatment plan can be identified as the sooner it is treated the more likely it will eradicate the disease.

The Never event: Exposing the largest outbreak of hepatitis c in American healthcare history (McKnight & Bennington, 2008) begins telling the story of what should have been a “top-notch” cancer center with a doctor committed to saving lives. Memorial Hospital of Dodge County was expanding their cancer services, making access to services easier for the community. They wanted to keep their patients in town and help them avoid commutes to Omaha. They hired Dr. Tahir Ali Javed from Punjab, Pakistan; he educated and trained at well-known, prestigious facilities. Everything that was put into place, the new facility and outstanding physician, made it seem as though the cancer center was going to exceed the expectations that the hospital had in mind. However, malpractice, lack of compassion, and avoidance drove the center and the patients into the ground. After reading this novel, I was able to define compassionate care in my own terms and will provide examples of acts of compassionate care. As well as, discussing the principles of dignity and beneficence in regards to Dr. Javed and nurses in the clinic. Lastly, I will provide a testimony statement about the future care of patients.

Hepatitis C used to affect minorities in urban areas. In June 2015, an epidemic has occurred in rural Appalachia among 18-24 year old white drug users. The sharing of needles contribute to the outbreak. In parts of Indiana, 25% of the population live in poverty, making treatment options unattainable (Galofarno

Although it is alarming about how expensive these drugs may cost, an inescapable idea that would have passed our brains several times already would be “Why should I care?” and that patients are only willing to pay this price because they need it because they are sick. Even if it may seem that we don’t empathize them, the overall perception is that since we don’t have hepatitis C, we would not have to worry about these price tags because we would never have to pay this fee. Because of this, although we may feel sympathy towards these patients, we are rarely able to perceive their problems at a personal level.

If Hepatitis C is caught in the early stages it is curable with medication. Watson points out that the medications that is used to treat Hepatitis C is very expensive and that people have a hard time paying for the cost. This results in people not getting the treatment due to the cost and this ultimately results in the person getting chronic Hepatitis C. Watson explains, “chronic Hepatitis C leads to cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer or scarring of the liver” (personal communication, February 27, 2017). Watson states that within the past couple of years, drug companies have taken the cost of these medications into consideration and have set up payment plan options for people who suffer from Hepatitis C. Along with, some drug companies are now covering the entire cost of the medications depending on the person’s income level. Another development that has recently emerged is financial counselors. Watson explains that, “once a person tests positive for Hepatitis C they will be notified, control measures will be discussed and the nurse will refer them out to a financial counselor to figure out which route is best for them to get treatment” (personal communication, February 27, 2017). Surry County Health and Nutrition Center work closely with the financial counselors through Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center to get these

The topic I have chosen is could treating prisoners with Hepatitis C (HCV) be worth the price. I first heard about this topic on the www.npr.org. I chose this topic because I believe if there is a way to prevent the spread of this disease we should do it. As a parent I feel that we need to do something to prevent or at least decrease the chances of this disease from being spread. Our children are growing up in this society and we need to keep them safe. Penitentiaries in the United States are where this disease is spread most frequently. Prisons are not required to test inmates for Hepatitis C, so many prisoners do not even know they have the disease. While in prison they engage in many activities in which they can either contract or spread

Hepatitis C has been referred to as a "Silent Epidemic," since it usually progresses slowly over many years. Most people who are infected with hepatitis C are not aware of any noticeable symptoms for as long as one to two decades after they are infected. In fact, by the time symptoms appear, the virus has probably already begun to damage the liver. If the liver is injured and stops functioning, death will always be the outcome (Lieber). Liver failure from chronic hepatitis C is one of the most common causes of liver transplants in the United States.

If someone is getting tested for Hepatitis C, they will first take an antibody test. This test will detect if antibodies are present in the blood, which will tell if the person has ever had Hepatitis C, not if they currently possess it (“Who Should”). If the antibody test comes back positive, a qualitative test will then be run. This test declares tells if someone is currently infected with Hepatitis C. A quantitative test can also be run, which shows the amount of Hepatitis C that is in the blood (“Who Should”). There are two main medications that are used to treat Hepatitis C. The first being Pegylated Interferon and another being Ribavirin. Both medications are used for the treatment of adult patients with chronic liver disease (FDA). These medications are used in place of the vaccine that has not been created for Hepatitis C. Therefore, Hepatitis C can be detected easily and is treatable.

There are a number of individuals who may be suffering from an illness and not even be aware they have an illness. One example of such illness is Hepatitis C (HCV). Hepatitis C is a severe disease of the liver. It is caused by the Hepatitis C virus (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2015). As a result, Hepatitis C has been termed a silent epidemic (CDC, 2015). This is because a lot of individuals have Hepatitis C and don’t even realize they have the infection (CDC, 2015). As the infection begins to progress over time, it could cause acute issues to the liver (CDC, 2015). Those issues could be things like damage to the liver, the liver could fail to function, cirrhosis, or even cancer of the liver (CDC, 2015). However, screening for Hepatitis C will allow an individual to benefit from treatments that are available, hence eliminating the disease from the body and preventing the liver from undergoing any further damage (CDC, 2015).

Sovaldi also known as Sofosbuvir is one of the latest anti- HCV drug in the market (Ollove, 2014). The drug has already been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) having gone through years of clinical trials. The drug’s claim to fame other than its high cost ($84,000 for 12 weeks of treatment or $1000 for one pill) is that it boasts of shorter treatment duration of about 3 months

Hepatitis C is a blood transmitted virus that has been know for substandard therapies/ drug treatments. When Mr. Parish commented that currently, there is no absolute cure to HCV, my mind immediately shifted to “cancer”. People often think of cancer as the most severe illness someone can get, because there is no cure. However, we forget that in actuality, there are numerous

Purpose: The purpose of the article was to address one of the interventions in Hepatitis C treatment and the temporal aspect of it in particular. The authors use a question to begin the article which makes it easy for the reader to find the purpose of the article and later the issue which would be preceding it. Within the purpose, the authors also identify their audience being the patients living with Hepatitis C virus, the insurance companies, and the health departments. Identifying the stakeholders is effective in targeting the message to the appropriate population and further adds clarity to the issue since it would be relatable to the authors of the article as well as their audience.

An overarching theme that emerged from the literature was the intersection of Indigeneity, hepatitis C and injection drug use (Craib et al., 2009). Persons who

Hayley is a 24yo, G1 P0, who was seen for a consultation due to hepatitis C. The patient does have a prior history of substance usage but states that she has been clean throughout the entire pregnancy. She does periodically use Goody powders prn and she was told to discontinue this. She also has issues with depression and anxiety and is on Zoloft 50 mg daily. She believes that a viral load was drawn but in looking at the labwork I do not have those results currently. Her hepatitis C antibody test was positive. Overall, she denies any complaints with the pregnancy to date.

After 1992 blood banks began screening the blood for the hepatics C virus. According to Dr. Palmer on page 117 she states, that it has been estimated by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that almost 300,000 Americans have contracted HCV prior to the advent of screening of donated blood and blood product for HIV.