A Case Report of Direct‐Acting Antiviral Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C in a Patient With Dementia Treated in Collaboration With Multiple Specialists

TL;DR

An elderly patient with dementia and chronic hepatitis C was successfully treated with antiviral therapy through collaboration among multiple specialists.

Contribution

Demonstrates the feasibility of treating hepatitis C in dementia patients with coordinated specialist care.

Findings

The patient achieved a negative hepatitis C RNA result after 4 weeks of treatment.

Collaboration among specialists was crucial for managing medication adherence and monitoring.

Sustained virologic response was confirmed post-treatment.

Abstract

A 77‐year‐old female with dementia was transferred from her family clinic to our hospital with a 2‐day history of appetite loss and was diagnosed with pneumonia and urinary tract infection upon admission. Laboratory investigation revealed hepatitis C virus antibody positivity and an elevated hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid level of 3.6 Log IU/mL; therefore, direct‐acting antiviral therapy was initiated. Although the patient requested treatment for hepatitis C, managing her medication was difficult because of dementia, as she lived alone and had no family, which required her to take medication under supervision, even on holidays. After discharge, the patient was treated with glecaprevir hydrate and pibrentasvir for 8 weeks by a hepatologist with biweekly visits to monitor adverse events. The hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid test result was negative after 4 weeks of treatment, and we asked her family physician to confirm a sustained virologic response. Collaboration among multiple specialists, both within and outside the hospital, is essential for facilitating the treatment of such patients.

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