Hepatitis C-infected kidneys function as well as others after transplant, study says
CNNCNN — There has been a dramatic shift in how doctors use donated kidneys infected with hepatitis C that used to be thrown away. More transplant centers are willing to use kidneys infected with hepatitis C. That might sound risky, but with advances in treatment for hepatitis C, a new study finds the organs are viable and won’t make a recipient ill. The study published in Journal of the American Society of Nephrology on Thursday found a threefold increase in the number of transplant centers using hepatitis C-infected kidneys. “The key thing about hepatitis C is that millions of Americans have this infection and most don’t know that they have it, it’s mild and takes many years for it to progress,” said Dr. Vishnu Potluri, the lead author on the study and a nephrology fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. The small number of organs available for kidney failure patients is a major public health problem and one that President Donald Trump addressed in July when he signed an executive order promising to transform kidney care in the United States.
History of this topic
Research finds those cured of hepatitis C more likely to die than general public
The Independent
Fewer Medi-Cal patients got crucial treatment for hepatitis C amid pandemic
LA Times
Fewer than 1 in 3 insured hepatitis C patients getting cure
Associated PressDiscover Related
