Devices for the safe performance of self-injection of interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C
Kurihara, T.; Mikata, R.; Yokosuka, O.
Nihon Rinsho. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine 64(7): 1368-1373
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1852 PMID: 16838658 Document Number: 602953
Long-term interferon therapy is an alternative therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C who can not tolerate to the combination of pegylated interferon and ribavirin. In 2005, self-injection of interferon for chronic hepatitis C was covered by public health insurance in Japan making the long-term interferon therapy easier to perform. For the safe performance of self-injection, education about knowledge on various adverse effects of interferon, training for actual performance of self-injection, and close contact between the patients and doctors are indispensable. In this review, we briefly summarized why self-injection is needed and how the training for safe self-injection of interferon should be performed.