Abstract of the course: Hepatitis C (HCV) is the most common blood borne viral infection in the United States. HCV was first identified in 1988, and 4 million Americans are now infected. HCV is an RNA virus that mutates quickly, making it difficult to treat. HCV is caused by a range of viruses, classified according to genotype, subtype or quasi-species. Most Americans have genotype 1, which is not as amenable to treatment as type 2 or 3. There are a number of risk factors: injection drug use, hemodialysis, chronic liver disease, transfusions or organ transplants before 1992, percutaneous or permucosal exposure to HCV-positive blood, born to an HCV-positive woman, sex with an infected person, living with an infected person and sharing personal items, and HIV co-infection. Assessment involves 4 different types of tests to verify presence of antigens and viral load as well as genotype. HCV is usually asymptomatic for many years, but symptoms may include general malaise, jaundice, cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, alcohol effects, hepatocellular carcinoma, cryoglobulinemia, and psychiatric co-morbidity. The most common therapy to maintain sustained virological response (SVR) is a combination treatment of pegylated interferon and ribivarin. Vaccinations are also recommended, and some people require liver transplants if they suffer liver failure. Unfortunately, there are a number of contraindications for treatment, including pregnancy, autoimmune disease, and active drinking or injection drug use. Prevention is very important and that includes health education programs; dialysis center precautions; blood, plasma derivatives, organs, tissues, and semen precautions; safe sexual practices; preventing/ responding to percutaneous exposure to blood in health care and other settings, and increased testing.

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The target audience for this course is nurses and other healthcare professionals, in all health care settings, who come in contact with individuals with hepatitis C (HCV) and/or who want a comprehensive overview of the disease, assessment, treatment, and prevention.

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