Copyright
©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. May 6, 2013; 4(2): 16-22
Published online May 6, 2013. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.v4.i2.16
Published online May 6, 2013. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.v4.i2.16
Management practices of hepatitis C virus infected alcoholic hepatitis patients: A survey of physicians
Ashwani K Singal, Habeeb Salameh, Anjna Singal, Sarat C Jampana, Daniel H Freeman, Karl E Anderson, Don Brunder, Departments of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Biostatistics and Library, University of YX Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, United States
Ashwani K Singal, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0012, United States
Author contributions: Singal AK and Brunder D designed research; Singal AK and Singal A performed research; Singal AK, Salameh H and Jampana SC analyzed data; and Singal AK, Jampana SC and Anderson KE wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Ashwani K Singal, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1808 7th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294-0012, United States. ashwanisingal.com@gmail.com
Telephone: +1-205-9345614 Fax: +1-205-9346201
Received: March 21, 2013
Revised: March 28, 2013
Accepted: April 10, 2013
Published online: May 6, 2013
Revised: March 28, 2013
Accepted: April 10, 2013
Published online: May 6, 2013
Core Tip
Core tip: Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) carries about 40%-50% mortality amongst patients with severe disease. Physicians usually shy away from treating AH in presence of concomitant hepatitis C virus (HCV). We surveyed gastroenterologists and hepatologists to assess their practice patterns on treating HCV infected AH patients. We found that although, physicians agree on screening for HCV in these patients, there is lack of consensus on treatment approach. There was no agreement on choice of drug and response to corticosteroids or pentoxifylline amongst HCV infected AH patients. Guidelines are needed on treating AH in presence of HCV.