Demographic Characteristics and Transmission Risk Factors of Patients with Hepatitis C Virus in Turkey: The EPI-C, A Multicenter and Cross-sectional Trial

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of risk factors in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Materials and Methods: Patients who were aged >18 years visiting outpatient clinics and diagnosed as having HCV infection were enrolled in this cross-sectional, multicenter study conducted in 71 cities. Patient data on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and pre-defined risk factors were collected. Results: Among 1,018 patients, 53.0% were women. The mean age was 57.2±14.3 years and 34.8% had been diagnosed as having HCV infection >10 years before enrollment. Almost half of the patients (45.5%) were diagnosed during their regular check-up visits, and only 16.8% were diagnosed because of signs or symptoms of HCV. Genotype 1 and sub-genotype 1 b were detected in 87.9% and 73.7% of the patients, respectively. At least one risk factor was present in 94.8% of the patients. The most frequently reported risk factor was major dental procedures (79.2%), followed by major surgical operations (56.9%) and minor surgical interventions (42.3%). Conclusion: Our results revealed that most of the patients with HCV infection underwent major dental procedures.