The aim of this book is to provide up-to-date information about hepatitis C in sufficient detail for the needs of primary care physicians.It will cover background key issues of hepatitis C virus (HCV) virology, acute infection, host response and epidemiology, but the main topic will be on assessment and management of people with chronic HCV infection. Aspects covered will include determination of disease severity, prevention of co-morbidity, dealing with symptoms, psyschosocial issues, and antiviral treatment. Some perspectives on related liver diseases (fatty liver, alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis B), and on the complications of chronic hepatitis C (cirrhosis and liver failure, liver cancer, extrahepatic manifestations) and their treatment (including liver transplantation) will be provided succinctly. The book will also address several broader health issues concerning the liver and liver diseases: diet, lifestyle, complementary and alternative medicines, use of prescription drugs. There are relatively few educational resources that address these issues using an evidence-based approach that respects tenets of a holistic health approach.
Short case histories will be used as a focus for discussion about practical issues, there will be numerous key point summaries, simple tables and figures to illustrate concepts and seminal data. Key literature references (particularly management guidelines), website addresses and other useful contact details will be included.