Population Health Epidemiology- Hepatitis C

Population Health Epidemiology- Hepatitis C

In the healthcare system, there are many categories of diseases that affect people across the globe. One of the most common communicable diseases is called Hapatisis C. From a medical point of view, Hepatitis C is an infectious disease that causes infection and inflammation of the liver. People develop Hepatitis C from the Hepatitis C virus. Once a person is infected with the disease, they are either categorized as acute or chronic status. Unfortunately, there is no known vaccine for Hepatitis C. In that regard, the primary cause of Hepatitis C is the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) (Westermann et al., 2016). When a person comes into contact with the hepatitis C virus through contact with infectious secretions and fluids from the infected person, then it is easy to suffer from the disease. In terms of the symptoms, a person with Hepatitis C has muscle aches, fatigue, light-colored bowel movements, yellow tinge to the eyes and skin, tenderness in the upper abdomen, and dark urine commonly associated with jaundice.

In terms of mode of transmission, a person contract hepatitis C by coming into contact with secretions and fluids from an infected person. Hepatitis C disease causes inflammation of the liver which can cause other complications such as liver failure. In terms of treatment, Hepatitis C can be treated using antiviral drugs. Mainly, the specialist prescribes these drugs based on the status of the disease. These drugs are different from common antibiotics. In terms of demographic composition, people below 20 years are at a lower risk of suffering from Hepatitis C. In the United States, over 65% of people with hepatitis C are aged between 30 to 49 years (Westermann et al., 2016). In general, people above 40 years are at a higher risk of contracting the disease. 95% of morbidity and mortality is caused by hepatitis C due to life-long infections and chronic conditions that cause severe liver damage. These complications result in hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis.

Determinants of Health

Determinants of health in line with hepatitis C can be analyzed into several aspects, namely, policymaking, social factors, health services, individual behavior, and biology and genetics. These determinants have been deliberated by Healthy People 2020 to address the level of correlation between health status and these determinants. In terms of policymaking, healthcare organizations can integrate with government health systems to determine policies that can contribute to the treatment of Hepatitis C. In terms of policymaking, the most appropriate action plan in treating hepatitis C is improving testing of HCV (Pozza et al., 2019). Due to lack of proper policies such as curbing substance abuse, some people have been exposed to this disease because relevant authorities have neglected the role of policymaking in sensitizing people the need to prevent hepatitis C. Thus, it is essential to establish standard recommendations for routine testing to ensure people with higher risk of contracting the disease are safe.

In terms of social factors, people with other diseases such as HIV are exposed to HCV. Thus, through the social care system, it is possible to reduce HIV/HCV co-infected rates in society. People with diseases such as HIV can contract hepatitis C as an opportunistic infection. The relationship between health status and health services in the treatment of hepatitis C can be seen through possible treatment procedures. Health services provided to get rid of hepatitis C include liver transplant that aims to replace the damaged liver with a healthy liver (Pozza et al., 2019). Besides, health services can be used in treating the disease in the required time because the virus lives in the blood. In terms of human behavior as a determinant of health, a person can prevent himself from hepatitis C because there is no vaccine. For example, people with behaviors of drug abuse can contract hepatitis C through the sharing of injections. Thus, people should avoid risky behaviors that can expose them to this disease. Some of the measures include the use of latex condoms during sex and avoid sharing needles for injection especially those abusing substances.

Epidemiological Triad

When considering the epidemiological triad of hepatitis C, the main elements are agent, host, and environmental interaction. The agents of hepatitis C infection can be analyzed in terms of intervenous drug use, blood transfusions, sexual activities, hemodialysis, and special population. First, the Hepatitis C virus can be transmitted through the use of percutaneous and intravenous drug abuse where people share needle (Hagan, 2011). In the United States, the number of cases of hepatitis C based on intravenous drug use is high. In the cities of Maryland and Baltimore, cases reported were 30.3% and 32.7% respectively. Blood transfusion is another agent of hepatitis C but the rate of transmitting HCV through blood transmission has reduced due to improved screening. The role of sexual activity as an agent of hepatitis C can be explained through multiple partners. According to the hypothesis formulated by the World Health Organization, at least 15% of women with an injecting partner contracted Hepatitis C in the United States in 2016.

In terms of host of hepatitis C, the main consideration is host genetics, menstruation and pregnancy, stage of infection, and male circumcision (Hagan, 2011). For the environmental factors, the risk of hepatitis C is associated with social norms on co-infections such as HIV, the average number of sexual partners, the probability of exposure, and the risk behavior of contracting the infection. People who fail to avoid contact with secretions and fluids infected with the Hepatitis C virus are likely to contract the disease.

Role of the Nursing Practitioner

The role of a nurse in treating hepatitis C is essential in reducing cases of this infection across the globe. Mainly, nurses are involved in the management of patients via the provision of supportive care to those suffering from chronic hepatitis C. Thus, nurses use medications such as ribavirin and peginterferon alfa as the therapy for treating the disease. Besides, nurse practitioners can play a critical role in sensitizing people the need of HCV testing and measures relevant in the treatment of Hepatitis C. In the United States, nurse practitioners use telemedicine program known as the ECHO project in treating hepatitis C by coordinating treatment strategic plans between rural health clinics and large hospital health facilities in major cities (Pozza et al., 2019). Moreover, nurses conduct surveillance to determine risk factors associated with the spread of the disease. They also recommend the use of modern drugs such as Epclusa, Harvoni, and Mavyret in the treatment of hepatitis C. In that regard, the use of modern drugs has benefited the patients because the dosing, monitoring, treatment time, and follow-up have been simplified. Although hepatitis C has no vaccine, nurse practitioners assist in the treatment by providing vaccination of hepatitis A and B that can worsen the impact of hepatitis C, especially in the Liver.