Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 http://www.pharmiweb.com/pressreleases/pressrel.asp?ROW_ID=4576 Family Hepatitis Service: Crossing The Hospital And Community Divide NHS Posted on:16 Sep 08 It is reasonably safe to argue that awareness of HIV has increased to a point where much of the world recognises it as a life-threatening problem. Few people by now can have missed, at some level, the stories, images, public health campaigns or evidence attached to HIV/AIDS, the world’s highest profile blood-borne killer virus. However, many of those same people might well plead ignorance of the other, potentially lethal blood-borne viruses. These are Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and, much less prevalent in the UK, Human T-Lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1). HBV infection is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as ‘one of the major diseases of mankind and a serious global public health problem.’ Incredibly, it is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV. Hepatitis actually means inflammation of the liver, and the various strains produce a range of acute symptoms, from chronic fatigue to jaundice, nausea and abdominal pain, that can be debilitating and dangerous. Both HBV and HCV, if left untreated, can go on to kill. The WHO estimates there are two billion people worldwide infected with HBV, more than 350 million of them with chronic, lifelong infections that may eventually prove fatal by developing into liver cancer and/ or cirrhosis of the liver. The good news is that a vaccine exists against HBV which is 95% effective in preventing chronic infections from developing. Infants are at high risk unless they receive a vaccination, with a 90% probability of going on to develop a chronic infection. The bad news is that hepatitis is actually a family disease, but is not generally recognised or treated as such. To provide really effective prevention and care, a more holistic approach is needed and that is why St ’s Hospital, Paddington, part of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, has developed its own unique Family Hepatitis Service. Gareth Tudor- has been instrumental in developing the service, together with hepatologist Brown and Professor Lesley Regan, who got buy-in from her obstetric and midwifery colleagues to help start the service up. Tudor- is in no doubt that the service is innovative and currently found nowhere else in the UK. “We see adults and children together, rather as we do with our family service for HIV. In fact, we borrowed the idea from our HIV clinic because chronic viral hepatitis is a family problem,” he says. HBV and HCV are transmitted through blood to blood contact. This means significant numbers of babies around the world are born with the virus, transmitted through the mother in pregnancy or during delivery. But there are other ways that infection can occur, putting partners and other family members at risk. These range from uncovered cuts and grazes, used needle injuries, transfusions with infected blood, unprotected sex and lack of sterilisation of simple medical instruments. In the UK, all pregnant women are now tested for hepatitis B. Like HIV, hepatitis carries its own stigma. One of the real issues with the virus, according to Tudor-, is that many people simply don’t know they are infected. “What happens with your liver is a bit like your car running out of petrol – it seems to run fine until one day all it’s reserves are used up, and it is only at this point you realise you have a problem, “ he says. Whilst HBV screening has been standard practice for many years for expecting mothers, screening for hepatitis C virus is not, and it is here that Tudor- believes St ’s may also be leading the pack. “We are now adding this to the list of tests which we routinely offer pregnant women and there has been a 98% take-up rate. The logistics are simple since the blood samples are being taken anyway; it is just a case of ticking one more box on the blood test form, and is a very minor extra in terms of laboratory on-costs,” he says. As many as half a million people in the UK may be infected with HCV, which is also transmitted blood to blood, though not generally through sexual contact. St ’s is currently collating and analysing data on HCV in the antenatal population over the last six years and has already presented preliminary findings to the Department of Health’s Advisory Group on Hepatitis. Tudor- is anxious to stress the robustness and multidisciplinary approach of the St ’s Family Hepatitis Service. “This is a truly innovative, one-stop clinic which offers a seamless service for the whole family. It starts in pregnancy, provides a high level of multi-disciplinary support and treatment for those infected and also offers highly effective ways of stopping the virus spreading. The family-based follow-up involves screening partners and siblings,” he emphasises. “We are playing our part in addressing the black hole of knowledge, especially with testing of anti HIV and anti hepatitis drugs for children. As an academic health science centre, we can provide additional leadership in this field. While the mother may be identified in hospital, her baby will require immunisations and the family members will need to be tested and immunised or referred for treatment by GPs and Health Visitors, which requires really good communication with all our colleagues in the community,” he says. Editor's Details Clare Byatt Kinross + Render http://www.kinrossrender.com 020 7592 3100 cfb@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 http://www.pharmiweb.com/pressreleases/pressrel.asp?ROW_ID=4576 Family Hepatitis Service: Crossing The Hospital And Community Divide NHS Posted on:16 Sep 08 It is reasonably safe to argue that awareness of HIV has increased to a point where much of the world recognises it as a life-threatening problem. Few people by now can have missed, at some level, the stories, images, public health campaigns or evidence attached to HIV/AIDS, the world’s highest profile blood-borne killer virus. However, many of those same people might well plead ignorance of the other, potentially lethal blood-borne viruses. These are Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and, much less prevalent in the UK, Human T-Lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1). HBV infection is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as ‘one of the major diseases of mankind and a serious global public health problem.’ Incredibly, it is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV. Hepatitis actually means inflammation of the liver, and the various strains produce a range of acute symptoms, from chronic fatigue to jaundice, nausea and abdominal pain, that can be debilitating and dangerous. Both HBV and HCV, if left untreated, can go on to kill. The WHO estimates there are two billion people worldwide infected with HBV, more than 350 million of them with chronic, lifelong infections that may eventually prove fatal by developing into liver cancer and/ or cirrhosis of the liver. The good news is that a vaccine exists against HBV which is 95% effective in preventing chronic infections from developing. Infants are at high risk unless they receive a vaccination, with a 90% probability of going on to develop a chronic infection. The bad news is that hepatitis is actually a family disease, but is not generally recognised or treated as such. To provide really effective prevention and care, a more holistic approach is needed and that is why St ’s Hospital, Paddington, part of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, has developed its own unique Family Hepatitis Service. Gareth Tudor- has been instrumental in developing the service, together with hepatologist Brown and Professor Lesley Regan, who got buy-in from her obstetric and midwifery colleagues to help start the service up. Tudor- is in no doubt that the service is innovative and currently found nowhere else in the UK. “We see adults and children together, rather as we do with our family service for HIV. In fact, we borrowed the idea from our HIV clinic because chronic viral hepatitis is a family problem,” he says. HBV and HCV are transmitted through blood to blood contact. This means significant numbers of babies around the world are born with the virus, transmitted through the mother in pregnancy or during delivery. But there are other ways that infection can occur, putting partners and other family members at risk. These range from uncovered cuts and grazes, used needle injuries, transfusions with infected blood, unprotected sex and lack of sterilisation of simple medical instruments. In the UK, all pregnant women are now tested for hepatitis B. Like HIV, hepatitis carries its own stigma. One of the real issues with the virus, according to Tudor-, is that many people simply don’t know they are infected. “What happens with your liver is a bit like your car running out of petrol – it seems to run fine until one day all it’s reserves are used up, and it is only at this point you realise you have a problem, “ he says. Whilst HBV screening has been standard practice for many years for expecting mothers, screening for hepatitis C virus is not, and it is here that Tudor- believes St ’s may also be leading the pack. “We are now adding this to the list of tests which we routinely offer pregnant women and there has been a 98% take-up rate. The logistics are simple since the blood samples are being taken anyway; it is just a case of ticking one more box on the blood test form, and is a very minor extra in terms of laboratory on-costs,” he says. As many as half a million people in the UK may be infected with HCV, which is also transmitted blood to blood, though not generally through sexual contact. St ’s is currently collating and analysing data on HCV in the antenatal population over the last six years and has already presented preliminary findings to the Department of Health’s Advisory Group on Hepatitis. Tudor- is anxious to stress the robustness and multidisciplinary approach of the St ’s Family Hepatitis Service. “This is a truly innovative, one-stop clinic which offers a seamless service for the whole family. It starts in pregnancy, provides a high level of multi-disciplinary support and treatment for those infected and also offers highly effective ways of stopping the virus spreading. The family-based follow-up involves screening partners and siblings,” he emphasises. “We are playing our part in addressing the black hole of knowledge, especially with testing of anti HIV and anti hepatitis drugs for children. As an academic health science centre, we can provide additional leadership in this field. While the mother may be identified in hospital, her baby will require immunisations and the family members will need to be tested and immunised or referred for treatment by GPs and Health Visitors, which requires really good communication with all our colleagues in the community,” he says. Editor's Details Clare Byatt Kinross + Render http://www.kinrossrender.com 020 7592 3100 cfb@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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