National guidelines for the management of hepatitis C virus infection in drug users in Slovenia
Abstract
Since the recognition of hepatitis C virus in 1989 it has been clear that intravenous drug users are at highest risk for acquiring the infection due to parenteral mode of its transmission. Hepatitis C virus is the main cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In Slovenia, the strategy for the complex management of hepatitis C virus infection has been established in 1997 and 1999. Nowadays, simple and accessible diagnostic tools are available to diagnose the infection and the treatment of chronic hepatitis is successful in 48–95 %. Due to several preventive strategies the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among intravenous drug users on substitution treatment has decreased from 50–60 % at the beginning of the nineties to 16.5 % actually infected in 2006. To improve the detection of the infected drug users, their further follow up and management by the hepatitis specialists, the Slovenian national consensus guidelines for the management of hepatitis C virus infection in drug users have been set up in 2007. They comprise the stepwise diagnostic and treatment procedures as well as counselling all being performed in close cooperation between the hepatitis specialists and therapists in drug addiction treatment programmes.Downloads
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