Therapeutic Itinerary of Patients Living with Viral Hepatitis B and C in Guinea

Abstract

Introduction: The therapeutic pathway affects the patient who changes care facilities. This change is linked to factors such as financial means, geographical accessibility of care facilities, quality of care and the socio-cultural perception of the patient. In countries with limited resources such as Guinea, the therapeutic itinerary remains multiple and hampered by obstacles. The objective of this study was to describe the therapeutic itinerary of patients living with hepatitis B and C at the Donka National Hospital. Material and methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive study lasting 43 months (24 January 2017 - 27 August 2020); it focused on patients living with hepatitis B or C or viral cirrhosis. We collected sociodemographic, clinical and treatment history variables. The data were analysed with SPSS software version 21.0. Results: Out of 5400 patients, the proportion of viral hepatitis B or C represented 393 patients (7.3%). The mean age of our patients was 35 ± 10 years, with extremes of 16 - 77 years. The sex ratio was 2.5. Three hundred and forty-two patients (87%) had recourse to modern medicine, mostly in private facilities (50.6%). One hundred and twenty-five patients (31.8%) had received previous treatment, half of whom (57.6%) had received inappropriate treatment. The delay in treatment was long in 45% of cases. The main reasons for delaying treatment were feeling unwell in 33.3%; not knowing to consult a specialist in 29.9% and feeling that they were being treated with useful drugs in 24.3%. Conclusion: The lack of training of general practitioners on the management of viral hepatitis and the scarcity of awareness campaigns on viral hepatitis contributed to the inadequacy of the management.