Consensus on management of hepatitis C virus infection in resource-limited Ukraine and Commonwealth of Independent States regions

Table 8 On- and posttreatment assessments during the management of hepatitis C virus infection

Assessments	Expert recommendations
On-treatment	In patients with cirrhosis, CBC, creatinine level, estimated GFR, and hepatic function panel may be repeated after 4 wks
	All patients on RBV should have CBC done at four and 8 wk to monitor for hemolysis
	HCV RNA testing (qualitative/quantitative) may not be required, as there are no current recommendations for response-guided therapy. Testing at the end of treatment is mandatory
	Assessment of potential drug-drug interactions with concomitant medications is recommended
	A periodic review of therapy compliance and the general condition of the patient is recommended
Posttreatment	SVR should be assessed at 12 wk or 24 wk after the end of treatment
	In patients who have failed therapy:
	Disease progression (hepatic function panel, CBC, and INR) should be assessed once in 6-12 mo
	In patients with advanced fibrosis (Metavir stages F3 or F4), screening for hepatocellular carcinoma with ultrasound is recommended every 6 mo
	Endoscopic screening for esophageal varices is recommended in cirrhotic patients
	In patients who achieve SVR:
	In patients with advanced fibrosis (Metavir stage F3 or F4), screening for hepatocellular carcinoma with ultrasound is recommended in every 6 mo
	Endoscopic screening for esophageal varices is recommended in cirrhotic patients with pretreatment varices or portal hypertensive gastropathy
	AFP as a screening test for HCC is recommended in cirrhotic patients

CBC: Complete blood count; GFR: Glomerular filtration rate; RBV: Ribavirin; RNA: Ribonucleic acid; SVR: Sustained virologic response; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma.