Hepatitis B is a virus affecting the liver and can lead to acute and chronic hepatitis
Hepatitis B infection can be treated effectively with the available new antiviral medications
Untreated Hepatitis B can lead to liver cancer/cirrhosis and liver failure
Family members of the patients should be screened for Hepatitis B infection
Transmission routes and risks
Vertically, between a mother with chronic infection and her babyC
lose person-to-person contact, usually in childhood (through open cuts or sores)
Sexually from male to female or vice versa
Parenteral route, transfusion of contaminated blood products
Sharing of needle amongst drug abusers
Risk Factors
Household contacts of people who are HBsAg positive
Intravenous drug abuse
Contaminated blood products transmission
Contaminated surgical equipment usage
Tattoos
Haemodialysis.
Hepatitis B virus can lead to both acute and chronic hepatitis
Acute hepatitis is sudden onset severe inflammation of the liver
Symptoms
Usual symptoms are fever, bodyache, nausea and vomiting followed by jaundice
Liver function test usually reveals increased bilirubin, markedly elevated SGOT/SGPT.
HBsAg and IgM anti HBc are positive
Acute hepatitis is mostly self limiting, and body clears the virus in more than 90% of cases, however 5 % of patients may develop chronic hepatitis
1 % of patients may develop features of liver failure and may requires ICU admission and liver transplantation
Chronic hepatitis B is characterized by low grade inflammation of the liver, which manifest as tiredness, and slightly elevated liver enzymes Four stages of Chronic hepatitis B are immune tolerance phase, immune clearance, immune control and state of immune escape
30 % of patients with chronic hepatitis B are at risk for cirrhosis and liver cancer
Treatment strategy is to identify the patients who are at high risk for progressive liver disease and treating these patients with potent antiviral agents