1.Infection Status of Common Infectious Diseases among Patients in Specialized Cancer Hospital
Yuanyuan ZHANG ; Haozhi ZHU ; Nansong XU ; Jindun YU ; Chuangzhong DENG ; Lihua HUANG
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2024;45(4):666-672
ObjectiveTo understand the current status of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Treponema pallidum (TP), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections among patients undergoing screening tests in a specialized cancer hospital in South China, and to analyze the completion of further testing for confirmation, so as to provide a reference for management of common infectious diseases and prevention of nosocomial infections. MethodsWe analyzed the positive rates of HIV antigen/antibody combination assay (HIV-comb), TP antibody (anti-TP), HCV antibody (anti-HCV) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among the outpatients and inpatients who underwent the screening tests in 2022. Then we examined the percentage of those patients with seropositivity for further confirmation. ResultsIn patients who underwent the screening tests, the positive rate, percentage of patients for further confirmation test and overall prevalence for HIV-comb were were 0.07%, 100% and 0.06%, respectively; for Anti-PT 1.99%, 100% and 0.51%, respectively. Positive rate of anti-HCV was 0.90% and 26.61% of patients completed further HCV RNA quantitative assay, in 26.44% of whom, HCV RNA levels were above the detection limit. Positive rate of HBsAg was 21.06% and 54.40% of patients completed further HBV DNA quantitative assay, in 51.60% of whom, HBV DNA levels were above the detection limit. As for the nucleic acid testing among the suspected hepatitis patients, we found smaller coverage in outpatients than in inpatients and larger coverage in liver cancer patients than in other patients. ConclusionsCompared with general population, patients in this specialized cancer hospital had similar infection levels of HIV and syphilis, and 100% of them completed further confirmation testing. Hepatitis C and hepatitis B infections were at a relatively high level, but which could not accurately reflect the level of virus replication due to insufficient coverage of nucleic acid testing. Specialized cancer hospitals should prompt medical staff to attach more importance to screening and further confirmation of common infectious diseases among tumor patients. While offering anti-cancer treatment, hospitals should also actively refer the confirmed cases with infectious diseases to designated or general hospitals for a better outcome and quality of medical services.