BOSTON– Almost two-thirds of baby boomers presenting to Alabama emergency departments were unaware of their hepatitis C virus status, despite having such high-risk factors as past intravenous drug use or receipt of a blood transfusion prior to 1992.
Equally concerning, only 48% of patients who knew they were HCV positive were aware of some of the highly efficacious treatments now available, study author and medical student Derek Wells of the University of Alabama-Birmingham said in a video interview at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Mr. Wells called for increased awareness among front-line providers to improve screening and help eradicate HCV in the United States.
Mr. Wells reported no financial disclosures.