Testing a person for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection should be done if there has been an exposure putting the person at risk for acquiring the infection.
Patients who should be tested for hepatitis C virus infection based on risk for infection:
(1) persons who ever injected illegal drugs
(2) persons who received clotting factor concentrates produced before 1987
(3) persons who ever underwent chronic hemodialysis
(4) anyone with a persistently elevated ALT level
(5) persons who received a transfusion of blood or blood component before July, 1992, particularly if they have been notified that the donor subsequently later tested positive for HCV infection
(6) persons who received an organ (heart, lung, kidney, liver, pancreas) transplant before July, 1992.
(7) HIV infected
CDC recommends that an adult born from January 1, 1945 to December 31, 1965 should be tested at least once for HCV to exclude occult infection.
Patients who should be tested for hepatitis C virus infection if there is a recognized exposure:
(1) healthcare, emergency medical and public safety workers after an exposure to HCV-positive blood (needle stick, sharps exposure, mucosal exposure)
(2) children born to HCV-positive women
Patients for whom routine hepatitis C virus testing is not recommended:
(1) healthcare, emergency medical and public safety workers without an exposure incident
(2) pregnant women
(3) household, non-sexual contacts of HCV-positive persons
(4) the general population
Persons for whom routine hepatitis C virus testing is of uncertain need:
(1) recipients of transplanted non-organ tissue (cornea, skin, bone, tendon, ova, sperm)
(2) illegal drug users limiting usage to noninjecting drugs such as intranasal cocaine
(3) people with a history of tattooing or body piercing (unless circumstances indicate that a significant exposure may have occurred)
(4) persons with a history of multiple sex partners or sexually transmitted diseases
(5) long-term steady sex partners of HCV-positive persons
