Citation

Patrascu Boanca CN, Gherlan G, Calistru PI. Rom. J. Leg. Med. 2017; 25(1): 109-112.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Romanian Legal Medicine Society)

DOI

10.4323/rjlm.2017.109

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Hepatitis C is a great burden to the health systems in all the countries. It accounts for over 170 million infected people worldwide. Only in 2015 there were approximately 700.000 people worldwide that died due to C hepatitis. In some other countries in Africa or Asia hepatitis C accounts for approximately 10% of the population. Hepatitis C is accompanied in most cases by neuropsychological diseases, mainly depression. Depression can be seen in HCV patients before and during the IFN treatment. It can also be developed by the treatment itself. Patients should be screen for depression pre-treatment and during treatment. Support from family and relatives are also important as it helps the patients to better cope with the disease and increase their successful treatment chances. Treatment abandon is also greatly reduced when patients are assisted by a therapist during the treatment and have full support of family and relatives. There is a large spectrum of causes for depression and these causes are influenced by gender, social stigma, education, local culture, etc. On rare occasions depression can lead to suicidal ideation and attempts. Suicide attempts per se do not represent a high percentage in hepatitis C infected patients. Mortality due to hepatitis C virus is about 4% per year, with death from hepatocellular carcinoma accounting for almost half of the total deaths number. In co-morbidity cases the HCV virus together with HIV mainly hepatitis is responsible for 11% of total deaths. This is considered a high number and establishes hepatitis C as an important priority. © 2017 Romanian Society of Legal Medicine.

Language: en

Keywords

Depression in HCV patients; Mortality due to HCV; Suicidal ideation and attempts in HCV patients