Aim: The aim of the study was the estimation of the incidence of HCV infection and the analysis of risk factors for the infection in hospitalised children.
Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of the data of 1263 patients treated in hospital wards of Chair and Department of Gastroenterology and Paediatric Diseases from July 1995 to March 1998; all the patients had hepatitis C virus antibodies determined. Hepatitis C virus antibodies were assessed with the use of enzyme immunoassay. All the positive results were confirmed by means of Lia Tek HCV or PCR HCV RNA method. History data regarding frequency of previous hospitalisations, operations, blood transfusions and invasive diagnostic procedures patients had undergone were included in analysis.
Results: HCV infection was diagnosed in 47 children which accounted for 3.7% of the group enrolled in the study. The majority, that is 96.2% of seropositive children had the history of hospitalisation, while 73.2% of them underwent intervention procedures disrupting tissue continuity during previous hospitalisations. Physical examination analysis indicates that all the patients with antibodies against HCV could have acquired the infection through parenteral transmission. The data indicating another route of transmission were not obtained (e.g. familial transmission). Conclusions: 1. Serological tests for HCV infection should be performed on routine basis in frequently hospitalised children. 2. HCV infection resulting from iatrogenic transmission can be suspected in the majority of seropositive children.
key words: HCV infection, children

Keywords: HCV infection, children