Hepatitis: Vocci F

Khalsa JH, Vocci F. · Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. · J Addict Dis. · Pubmed #18681186 No free full text.

Abstract: Substance abuse and infections remain two of the major problems in the world today. Both are associated with serious morbidity and mortality, including immunological impairment leading to opportunistic infections, mental and neuropsychiatric complications of HIV and HCV infections, and liver damage of chronic HCV infection. Clinical management of substance abusers with infections is possible, available, and effective if individuals in drug treatment programs are closely monitored for adherence and compliance to HIV/HCV treatment regimens.

Khalsa JH, Kresina T, Sherman K, Vocci F. · Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9593, USA. · Clin Infect Dis. · Pubmed #16265605 No free full text.

Abstract: Several million people inject drugs of abuse and, as a result, are coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The treatment of this coinfected drug-abusing population is fraught with many problems such that clinicians and other health care providers have to determine whether patients should be treated first for drug addiction, for HIV/AIDS, or for HCV infection or simultaneously treated. These proceedings present the incidence and prevalence of coinfections with HIV and HCV in high-risk populations and discuss the underlying pathophysiology of coinfections and the problems and strategies of managing the treatment of coinfections among people who also inject illicit drugs. In addition, the expert panel recommended further research to determine the best possible treatment regimens applicable to injection drug users coinfected with HIV and HCV.