Background: Patients with cirrhosis and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who have achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) currently undergo indefinite imaging every 6-12 months to screen for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although current research shows there is liver remodeling with regression of fibrosis/cirrhosis after HCV treatment, it is unclear if improvements in the features of cirrhosis [...]

Background: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is defined as the presence of ≥5% of hepatic steatosis (HS) in the absence of other liver disorders, such as chronic viral or autoimmune hepatitis, steatosis induced by drugs, significant alcohol consumption, hemochromatosis, or Wilson’s disease. There is limited literature describing national prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of NAFLD in [...]

Background: As of April 2020, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends one-time Hepatitis C testing for all adults age 18 and over and all pregnant women during every pregnancy. Previous research shows that Emergency Departments (ED) are effective settings for screening and diagnosing individuals for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). The purpose of this [...]

Background: Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) related admissions have been increasing, and severe AH (as defined by a discriminant function [DF] > 32) can carry a one-month mortality rate of up to 50% (Crabb et al). With rising mortality from alcoholic liver disease, early detection of alcohol use disorder to achieve cessation and prevent progression to alcoholic [...]

Background: There is an estimated 160,000 individuals that have been diagnosed with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in New Jersey. HCV is a well-known and widespread challenge to personal, societal, and governmental resources and ultimately, human life. Current guidelines from the USPSTF recommend offering a 1-time screening for HCV infection to adults born between 1945 and [...]

Background: There are an estimated 3.5 million people in the United States living with Hepatitis C virus (HCV); 75-85% of those will develop a chronic infection that can result in liver complications. It is crucial to identify positive infections immediately to ensure linkage to a provider and prevent the advancement of HCV. Initial face-to-face contact [...]

Background: Healthcare costs continue to represent a growing burden on the American economy.  Current research has focused on methods to eliminate unnecessary tests or procedures to save costs and prevent waste.  Hepatitis C antibody testing represents one example of a test that, when positive, almost never needs to be repeated in a patient’s lifetime. Once [...]

Background: Veterans in care at Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers have a higher prevalence of Hepatitis C (HCV) antibody positivity than the general population1,2. Despite high tolerability and cure rates approaching 95% with new direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs, a significant proportion of veterans have not been initiated on treatment due to barriers including active substance [...]

Case Presentation: A 44 year old gentleman with a past medical history significant for Crohn’s disease presented for evaluation of painless jaundice and a pancreatic mass in the setting of significant unintentional weight loss and recent flu-like symptoms including night sweats, low-grade fever, and dizziness.  Prior to admission, the patient underwent computerized tomography of the [...]

Case Presentation: The patient is a 32-year-old male with a history of alcohol abuse who presented with two days of right upper quadrant pain and non-bloody emesis. He denied any prior diagnosis of liver disease (although alluded to a family history of cirrhosis), renal disease, confusion, or jaundice. He reported drinking a fifth of liquor [...]