Hepatitis C risk factor for patients submitted to dialysis.

This article reports the results of the research which has evaluated the prevalence and factors associated to the presence of Hepatitis C in patients submitted to dialysis at the Clinica de Doenças Renais (Clinic of Renal Diseases) in Tubarao city (CRDT), Santa Catarina State, Brazil, in the period between January 1st, 2004 to December 31st in the same year. The prevalence of 16.8% of Hepatitis C in the studied population and the time-length of dialysis as significative risk factor have become evident. The non-correlation of seropositivity of the followings factors is also indicated: age, gender, base diseases, infrastructures, the type of clinic machines, the type of dialyser, used membranes, the machine sterilisation and substances for this process as well as the number of times of the dialyser reutilization. The data represented in this project suggest that the Hepatitis C presents high prevalence in patients in dialysis and the time-length of the treatment is a risky factor to acquire the infection.