SEROPREVALENCE AND CLINICO-EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS B AND C PATIENTS IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL

This descriptive observational study was conducted at Government Medical College and Dr. Susheela Tiwari Memorial Government Hospital, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, to evaluate the seroprevalence and clinico-epidemiological profile of chronic Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) among patients. Over a two-year period, 7,149 outpatients were screened, identifying 38 HBV-positive cases (0.53%) and 141 HCV-positive cases (1.97%). Patients were assessed using detailed clinical evaluations, laboratory tests, and imaging studies, with data analyzed through SPSS. The majority of patients with HCV presented with advanced liver disease, as evidenced by higher rates of ascites (13.97%), jaundice (11.73%), and elevated urea levels (p=0.03), while HBV patients exhibited significantly higher serum bilirubin (p=0.005) and SGOT levels (p=0.0057). Sociodemographic analysis revealed no significant differences in age, gender, or education between groups, but geographic patterns showed HBV predominance in Nainital (63.2%) and HCV dominance in Udham Singh Nagar (27.7%) and Bijnor (29.1%). These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions, including awareness campaigns, preventive measures, and region-specific healthcare strategies, to reduce the burden of viral hepatitis in underserved populations.