Hepatitis C could have contributed to a fifth death: SGH
Hepatitis C virus infection could have contributed to the death of a fifth patient in the outbreak at the renal ward of Singapore General Hospital reported earlier this month.
According to media reports, the hospital said in a statement on Monday that a medical review committee led by an external senior heptalogist has concluded its investigation and found that hepatitis C infection could not be ruled out as a contributing factor in one more patient's death.
“The committee concluded that the patient passed away from end-stage renal disease and pneumonia. While the death was not caused directly by hepatitis C virus, the committee could not rule out the possibility that hepatitis C virus infection could have been a contributing factor," Fong Kok Yong, chairman of SGH's medical board, said.
Earlier this month, the hospital, Singapore's largest, said that 22 kidney patients who were hospitalised from April to June this year had been diagnosed with hepatitis C virus infection. The liver diease could not be ruled out in four cases, while another three deaths were found to have no link to the hepatitis C virus infection. One death had been pending review.
Meanwhile, SGH also said that 484 patients screened have tested negative for the virus, while test results for 88 other patients were pending. The hospital was still attempting to contact eight patients who stayed at its renal ward in the first six months of this year.Also, 30 of the 678 patients who stayed in the ward have since died since they were discharged, but hepatitis C has been ruled out as a contributing factor.
