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UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV), with clinical manifestation acute and chronic hepatitis. Most of acute hepatitis C cases progress to chronic hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis C proceeds towards cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. It makes a serious clinical problem in Indonesia, in terms of its high prevalence and complications. Accurate diagnosis and management of the disease can reduce the morbidity and mortality significantly. The transmissions of HCV mainly through the blood and body fluids contaminated with HCV. The risk factors which may be involved in the transmission of HCV infection should be considered and prevented.
Method: This study is a descriptive analytic study with cross sectional study design. The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate the risk factors of hepatitis C. Data were collected from medical records of the hepatitis C patients in General Hospital Haji Adam Malik from 2012 to 2013.
Result: The study showed that hepatitis C was related significantly with blood transfusion (p = 0.016) and history of free sex activity (p = 0.0001). There were no significant relation of the risk factors of history of injecting drug users, alcoholic, surgery, and tattooing / piercing, each of those risk factors have a value of p > 0.05 .
Conclusion: This study showed that blood transfusion and sexual contact (free sex) were associated with hepatitis C.
Keywords: risk factors, Hepatitis C
