RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Acute hepatitis C virus infection related to capillary blood glucose meter
JF Saudi Medical Journal
JO Saudi Med J
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 93
OP 95
DO 10.15537/smj.2016.1.13143
VO 37
IS 1
A1 Faisal Inayat
A1 Aitzaz BinSultan Rai
YR 2016
UL http://smj.org.sa/content/37/1/93.abstract
AB Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects an estimated 130-150 million people worldwide, becoming the major cause of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation. There are various preventable modes of transmission of HCV infection, including needlestick and sharps injuries. However, HCV infection secondary to needlestick injury by a capillary blood glucose meter (CBGM) lancet has not been previously well reported. We describe an unusual case of a 25-year-old male medical student, acquiring acute HCV infection with a lancing device of CBGM. The source patient was a 54-year-old diabetic male with positive anti-HCV test results. In our patient, after 3 months of initial exposure, a standard set of investigations confirmed the diagnosis of acute HCV infection with the same genotype (3a) as the source. The CBGM, as in our case, may have a role in the transmission of HCV infection warranting radical advancements in diabetes screening and monitoring technology.