%0 Journal Article
%T Prevalence of Hepatitis C Among Hospitalized Patients in Ha’il, Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Study
%A Mohan B. Sannathimmappa
%A Latifa Zehri
%A Ayat A. M. Al Zadjali
%A Halima M. A. Albalushi
%A Buthaina A. A. H. Al Saadi
%A Rajeev Aravindakshan
%A Elham S. Al-Risi
%A Saleema Al-Maqbali
%A Vinod Nambiar
%J Interdisciplinary Research in Medical Sciences Specialty
%@ 3062-4401
%D 2022
%V 2
%N 2
%R 10.51847/BVCpc0XaxB
%P 16-22
%X There is limited research on the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the general population or hospital settings in the Ha’il region of Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, associated factors, and distribution patterns of HCV antibodies among patients of King Khalid General Hospital. A retrospective study was conducted to assess HCV seropositivity among individuals who visited a tertiary healthcare facility in Ha’il between June 2020 and June 2021. Data from 3,861 patients, including demographic and clinical details, were collected and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 20 software. The association between categorical variables was examined using the chi-square (χ²) test, and statistical significance was considered P < 0.05. The overall HCV antibody positivity rate was 1.4%, with females comprising 65% of the positive cases. Significant correlations were observed between HCV positivity and age group, clinical department, and specific months during the study period. The highest rates of seropositivity were observed in patients aged 31–40 years (0.44%), among those undergoing dialysis (0.6%), and in March 2021 (0.35%). The findings suggest that HCV infection remains a public health concern among hospital patients in Ha’il. Enhanced infection control practices, especially in hospitals and dialysis units, are essential to reduce the risk of transmission.
%U https://galaxypub.co/article/prevalence-of-hepatitis-c-among-hospitalized-patients-in-hail-saudi-arabia-a-retrospective-study-vjwagygbccs03cz