Emergency Department Screening for Hepatitis C Virus: Geographic Reach and Spatial Clustering in Central Alabama

John P Donnelly; Ricardo A Franco; Henry E Wang; James W Galbraith

doi:10.1093/cid/civ984

Emergency Department Screening for Hepatitis C Virus: Geographic Reach and Spatial Clustering in Central Alabama

Clin Infect Dis. 2016 Mar 1;62(5):613-6. doi: 10.1093/cid/civ984. Epub 2015 Nov 26.

Authors

John P Donnelly¹, Ricardo A Franco², Henry E Wang³, James W Galbraith³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama School of Medicine Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
² Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham.
³ Department of Emergency Medicine.

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a growing problem, disproportionately affecting those born between 1945 and 1965. Here, we demonstrate the wide geographic reach and surveillance potential of emergency department-based screening and identify areas of elevated HCV infection in central Alabama that were socioeconomically disadvantaged compared with surrounding communities.

Keywords: emergency department; epidemiology; geography; hepatitis C; screening.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Aged
Alabama
Emergency Service, Hospital*
Female
Hepatitis C / diagnosis*
Humans
Male
Mass Screening*
Middle Aged

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding