Key result
The pooled prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among hemodialysis patients in Pakistan was 32.33%.
Why the study?
Hepatitis C virus is a common bloodborne infection in Pakistan and frequent hemodialysis exposes patients to high risk, but the overall prevalence in this population required quantification.
Meta-Analysis (n=3,446)
The pooled prevalence of HCV among hemodialysis patients in Pakistan is alarmingly high at 32.33%, highlighting an urgent need for preventive interventions and improved infection control in dialysis units.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
High HCV prevalence in Pakistani hemodialysis signals infection control gaps; supports targeted prevention research.
BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the most common bloodborne viral infections reported in Pakistan. Frequent dialysis treatment of hemodialysis patients exposes them to a high risk of HCV infection. The main purpose of this paper is to quantify the prevalence of HCV in hemodialysis patients through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Pakistani Journals Online and Web of Science to identify studies published between 1 January 1995 and 30 October 2019, reporting on the prevalence of HCV infection in hemodialysis patients. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model to obtain pooled estimates. A funnel plot was used in conjunction with Egger's regression test for asymmetry and to assess publication bias. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were used to identify potential sources of heterogeneity among the included studies. This review was registered on PROSPERO (registration number CRD42019159345). RESULTS: Out of 248 potential studies, 19 studies involving 3446 hemodialysis patients were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of HCV in hemodialysis patients in Pakistan was 32.33% (95% CI: 25.73-39.30; I2 = 94.3%, p < 0.01). The subgroup analysis showed that the prevalence of HCV among hemodialysis patients in Punjab was significantly higher (37.52%; 95% CI: 26.66-49.03; I2 = 94.5, p < 0.01) than 34.42% (95% CI: 14.95-57.05; I2 = 91.3%, p < 0.01) in Baluchistan, 27.11% (95% CI: 15.81-40.12; I2 = 94.5, p < 0.01) in Sindh and 22.61% (95% CI: 17.45-28.2; I2 = 78.6, p < 0.0117) in Khyber Pukhtoonkhuwa. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found a high prevalence (32.33%) of HCV infection in hemodialysis patients in Pakistan. Clinically, hemodialysis patients require more attention and resources than the general population. Preventive interventions are urgently needed to decrease the high risk of HCV infection in hemodialysis patients in Pakistan.
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Akhtar et al. (2020) conducted a meta-analysis in Hepatitis C virus infection (n=3,446). Hemodialysis was evaluated on Pooled prevalence of HCV infection (32.33%, 95% CI 25.73-39.30). The pooled prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among hemodialysis patients in Pakistan was 32.33%.
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