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Citation |
Badrakalimuthu VR, Rumball D, Chawla A. Adv. Psychiatr. Treat. 2011; 17(5): 340-349. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2011, Royal College of Psychiatrists) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
unavailable |
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Abstract |
There is an increasing prevalence of hepatitis C, particularly among intravenous drug users. Estimates of infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in patients with severe mental illness in the USA have ranged from 8.5% to 19.6%. Alcohol use and misuse is the single biggest contributory factor to the development of fatal liver disease in people with hepatitis C. Neuropsychiatric symptoms are present in HCV infection, independent of any treatment. Despite such alarming observations, the success rate of antiviral treatment in chronic hepatitis C has improved considerably in recent years. This article explores psychiatrists' involvement in advocating for treatment inclusion, assessing patients' capacity to make treatment-related decisions and supporting the medical team in managing the complex journey a patient undertakes from being at high risk to receiving treatment for neuropsychiatric symptoms. Language: en |
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Keywords |
human; alcoholism; psychotherapy; depression; anger; anxiety; medical education; drug use; suicide attempt; liver transplantation; risk factor; review; fatigue; antidepressant agent; psychiatrist; health care delivery; cognitive defect; fluoxetine; paroxetine; fear; cognitive therapy; disease course; anxiety disorder; medical decision making; electroconvulsive therapy; influenza; physician attitude; extrapyramidal symptom; olanzapine; guilt; drug withdrawal; benzodiazepine; recall; hepatitis C; drug megadose; delirium; naltrexone; mania; high risk patient; gabapentin; side effect; hypomania; psychomotor retardation; pregabalin; Hepatitis C virus; ribavirin; psychostimulant agent; paresthesia; gastrointestinal hemorrhage; malaise; liver disease; patient assessment; diet supplementation; physical capacity; depth perception; recombinant erythropoietin; retina hemorrhage; peginterferon alpha; perseveration |