Antiviral Treatment Eligibility

Contraindications

1. Interferon (if contraindicated, patient should not receive any therapy since ribavirin alone is not useful)
• Platelet count ≤70,000 cells/µL
• ANC ≤1,500 cells/µL
• Life-determining extrahepatic disease (malignancy, unstable angina, severe COPD)
• Clinically decompensated liver disease
• Uncontrolled autoimmune disorders
• Pregnancy or planned pregnancy in patient or partner, or unwillingness to use birth control
• Documented nonadherence to prior therapy, or failure to complete pretreatment evaluation appointments or procedures
• Inability to self-administer or to arrange administration of parenteral medication
• Severe uncontrolled psychiatric disease, particularly depression with current suicidal risk
• Ongoing injection drug use
• Ongoing alcohol abuse
2. Ribavirin (if contraindicated, interferon monotherapy can be considered)
• Serum creatinine ≥1.5 g/dL or creatinine clearance ≤50 ml/min
• Hemoglobin <12 g/dL in men or <11 g/dL in women
• Thalassemia or other hemoglobinopathy
• Significant cardiac disease (arrhythmias, angina, CABG, MI) in past 12 months
• Pregnancy or planned pregnancy in patient or partner, or unwillingness to use birth control

Next: Pretreatment Assessment