Original Article

Hepatitis C Infection and the Risk of Bacteremia in Hemodialysis Patients with Tunneled Vascular Access Catheters

Authors: Shilpa Reddy DO, Robert Sullivan MD, Robert Zaiden MD, Victor Lopez De Mendoza MD, Nimish Naik MD, Kenneth J. Vega MD, N Stanley Nahman Jr MD, Irene Alexandraki MD

Abstract

Background:The major complication of tunneled vascular catheters in dialysis patients is infection. In preliminary work, an association was noted between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and bacteremia in these patients. On this basis, we theorized that HCV infection may be associated with bacteremia in dialysis patients with tunneled catheters.Methods:We conducted a two-phase clinical study to define the association between HCV infection and bacteremia in hemodialysis patients with catheters. Phase 1 was a cross-sectional study designed to assess the association between HCV serologic status and bacteremia. Phase 2 was a prospective study that examined the relationship between HCV viral load and bacteremia.Results:In Phase 1, HCV (+) patients had a significantly greater prevalence of bacteremia than HCV (−) patients (61 vs 7.7% respectively, P < 0.05). In Phase 2, the presence of detectable virus was associated with a numerical trend toward an increase in the incidence of bacteremia (40 vs 0% for patients with and without detectable virus, respectively, P = 0.09).Conclusion:These studies suggest that HCV infection may be associated with the development of bacteremia in hemodialysis patients with tunneled catheters.

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