New Hep C screening a 'game-changer', says study

A new hepatitis C test could change the way people around the world are screened for the illness.

Research has found that rapid tests and point-of-care for hepatitis C are just as reliable as the ones in the laboratory.

Led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, the results show that these new tests are highly accurate and have a rapid turn-around time.

This discovery will change screening techniques and eventually help to manage the hepatitis C infection globally.

The research is published in the current issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Dr Nitika Pant Pai, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University explained that the new techniques in oral fluids and blood ranged in 97 to 99 percent accuracy.

Conventional laboratory testing is currently only available only to people who visit specialised hospitals and community clinics. They typically have symptomatology or a risk profile that calls for screening.

Usually these results are made available within a week, however they will only be told during their following visit, which could be one to three months later.

Delays such as these might encourage a reduction in patient follow-up and likely affect the rate of transmission within the community.

The new tests offer an alternative to the standard techniques and procedures. They are effective, informative and convenient for clinical decision-making, explained Dr Pant Pai.

Providing results within 30 minutes and at most within one working day, the new tests usually don’t need specialised equipment. Many do not even need electricity, added Sushmita Shivkumar, lead author of the study and a medical student at McGill University.

“These tests have the potential to be game changers on a global scale. It is now time to optimise their potential by integrating them in routine practice settings," concluded the doctor.

Posted by Ben Evans