Chronic Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects the liver. It can be either acute or chronic hepatitis.
Untreated Hepatitis B may cause complications, such as liver failure, liver cancer, and cirrhosis. New antiviral medications have the potential to treat Hepatitis B infection.
Screening of family members of the patients is necessary to rule out any Hepatitis B infection.

Transmission routes and risks

• Vertical transmission: A mother with a chronic infection can transmit infection to the baby.
• Close contact between individuals, usually in young children (through open cuts or sores)
• Sexual interaction between male and female
• Transfusion of contaminated blood between individuals
• Needle sharing amongst drug abusers

Risk factors

• HBsAg positive people spreading the infection
• Intravenous drug abuse
• Contaminated transfusion of blood
• Contaminated surgical devices
• Tattoos
• Haemodialysis

Symptoms

• Acute hepatitis involves sudden liver inflammation
• Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, body ache followed by jaundice
• Typically, acute hepatitis is self-limiting, and the body clears a large portion of the infection cases (90%) however, some may develop chronic hepatitis (5%).
• Liver failure may occur in 1 % of patients. Patients may require ICU admission and liver transplantation.
• Chronic hepatitis B presents with mild liver inflammation and increased liver enzymes
• Chronic hepatitis B poses an increased risk of liver cancer and cirrhosis in 30 % of patients.

Diagnosis

• Liver function test reveals elevated SGOT/SGPT and increased bilirubin.
• Positive HBsAg and IgM anti-HBc

Treatment

The main treatment approach is to correctly determine the risk factors for liver diseases and appropriate use of antiviral drugs is recommended.