Chronic Hepatitis C: Current Disease Management

Patient Education

Disease management should begin with patient education about the disease and general recommendations on how to prevent transmission and avoid further injury. Patients need to know the cause of the disease, possible complications, and how the condition may affect their life. A few important recommendations should be given to all patients with chronic hepatitis C:

• Do not donate blood, semen, or tissues.

• Do not share razors, toothbrushes, or other items that might be contaminated with blood.

• If you have more than one sexual partner, follow safe sexual practices or use condoms.

• If you are in a monogamous, long-term relationship, sexual transmission is unlikely. Currently, no changes in sexual practices are recommended, although you may choose to modify your behavior or use condoms orother barriers. Your sexual partner should be tested for anti-HCV.
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• You do not need to avoid normal social and work interactions, such as being with family members, preparing food, eating together, shaking hands, and kissing and hugging others, including children.

• It is safe for women with chronic hepatitis C to become pregnant. Breast-feeding is also considered safe. Children born to women with hepatitis C should be tested for evidence of infection, aminotransferases, and anti-HCV at 1 year of age.

• You should avoid alcohol use; abstinence from alcohol is recommended. Having more than one alcoholic drink per day is unwise.

• You should be vaccinated against hepatitis A and hepatitis B; you may need to be tested for antibodies to these diseases before vaccination.

• You should visit your physician every 6 to 12 months to check for symptoms and signs of liver disease and to test for serum aminotransferases, bilirubin, and albumin.

• You should be careful about taking medications that might be harmful to the liver and remind your physician of your hepatitis when you get a prescription for another condition.

Patient Education Resources

The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) has patient education materials on hepatitis C. To obtain free copies, contact the clearinghouse at:

NDDIC
2 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3570
E-mail: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov

Patient education materials are also available from:

American Liver Foundation
1425 Pompton Avenue
Cedar Grove, NJ 07009-1000
Tel: (800) 223-0179 or (201) 256-2550

Hepatitis Foundation International
30 Sunrise Terrace
Cedar Grove, NJ 07009-1423
Tel: (800) 891-0707 or (201) 239-1035

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

2 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3570
E-mail: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov

The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Public Health Service. Established in 1980, the clearinghouse provides information about digestive diseases to people with digestive disorders and to their families, health care professionals, and the public. NDDIC answers inquiries; develops, reviews, and distributes publications; and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about digestive diseases.

Publications produced by the clearinghouse are reviewed carefully for scientific accuracy, content, and readability.

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