Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection in adults and children: updated Swedish consensus recommendations.

Abstract

Swedish recommendations for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were updated at a recent expert meeting. Therapy for acute HCV infection should be initiated if spontaneous resolution does not occur within 12 weeks. The recommended standard-of-care therapy for chronic HCV genotype 1 infection is an HCV protease inhibitor in combination with peginterferon (peg-IFN) and ribavirin. Treatment is strongly recommended in patients with bridging fibrosis and cirrhosis, whereas in patients with less advanced fibrosis, deferring therapy may be preferential in light of likely therapeutic improvements in the near future. Patients with chronic genotype 2/3 infection should generally be treated with peg-IFN and ribavirin for 24 weeks. In patients with a very rapid viral response (i.e. HCV RNA below 1000 IU/ml on day 7), or favourable baseline characteristics and undetectable HCV RNA week 4, treatment can be shortened to 12-16 weeks, provided that no dose reductions are needed.

• Authors: Martin Lagging, Ann-Sofi Duberg, Rune Wejstål, Ola Weiland, Magnus Lindh, Soo Aleman, Filip Josephson, Swedish Consensus Group
• Journal: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases (Scand J Infect Dis) Vol. 44 Issue 7 Pg. 502-21 (Jul 2012) ISSN: 1651-1980 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 22506634 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• Ribavirin
• Interferons

Topics

• Adult
• Antiviral Agents (administration & dosage)
• Child
• Drug Therapy, Combination (methods)
• Hepatitis C, Chronic (drug therapy)
• Humans
• Interferons (administration & dosage)
• Ribavirin (administration & dosage)
• Time Factors