Inpatient Hep C Consultation After Delivery Tied to Better Treatment Completion

TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Providing immediate bedside hepatitis C virus (HCV) consultation at discharge from labor and delivery for women with HCV-affected pregnancies is associated with higher rates of treatment completion than referral for outpatient follow-up, according to a study published in the October issue of O&G Open.

Leah Madeline McCrary, M.D., from Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), and colleagues evaluated the associations of a traditional postpartum outpatient referral (92 women) compared to an opportunistic inpatient consultation (33 women) for HCV treatment initiation on HCV treatment completion. 

The researchers found that all individuals in the inpatient referral group had an inpatient consultation; however, a majority (55.4 percent) of those in the outpatient referral group did not present for consultations. Inpatient referral was associated with higher rates of HCV treatment completion (20 of 30) among women who were prescribed direct-acting antivirals compared with standard care (14 of 41). Inpatient treatment was associated with higher odds of treatment completion (adjusted odds ratio, 4.7).

“Curing hepatitis C in these mothers has a huge ripple effect — it protects their health, their families and their future pregnancies,” Jeannie Kelly, M.D., also from WashU, said in a statement. “This new study shows that simply bringing the medication to the patient’s bedside right after delivery dramatically reduces the number of patients lost along the way.”

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