|
HEPATITIS C Statistics
- An estimated 4 million Americans are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus.
- Approximately 8,000 Americans die of hepatitis C-related causes each year. The death rate is expected to triple within the next 20 years.
- The hepatitis C virus is spread primarily through contaminated blood. Chronic hepatitis C infection may lead to cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer.
- Hospital admissions for all causes of cirrhosis total 160,000 annually; the average hospital stay was nearly two weeks with a mean charge of $30,980.
- Patients dying of cirrhosis consumed $73,837 of resources on final admission.
- Chronic hepatitis C infection is the leading cause for liver transplantation in the United States.
- There are approximately 4,000 liver transplants in the U.S. annually; one-third of liver transplants have been infected with hepatitis C.
- The cost of a liver transplant ranges from $225,000 to $302,000.
- Between 75 and 85 percent of people who develop acute hepatitis C go on to develop chronic disease.
- People who received blood transfusions or blood products prior to 1992 and those who use, or once used, intravenous drugs are at greater risk for exposure to hepatitis C.
Back
|
Additional Information
|
