Hepatitis B

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Aggressive hepatitis	Digestive system	Gianotti-Crosti syndrome on the leg	Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B virus

Acute hepatitis needs no treatment other than careful monitoring of liver function, by measuring serum transaminases and prothrombin time.

In rare cases of liver failure, the patient should be monitored in an intensive care unit. Because liver damage decreases the liver's ability to degrade proteins, the patient's protein intake should be restricted.

Also, lactulose, metronidazole or neomycin should be administered (to limit protein production by bacteria in the gut). Patients should be monitored until they recover or until a liver transplant appears necessary. A liver transplant is the only definitive cure in cases of liver failure.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis is geared towards reducing inflammation, symptoms, and infectivity. Treatment options include interferon (administered by injection) as well as lamivudine, entecavir, and adefovir dipivoxil (administered orally). Liver transplantation is used to treat end-stage chronic hepatitis B liver disease.

For additional information and resources, see liver disease support group.

The acute illness usually subsides after 2 to 3 weeks, and the liver usually returns to normal within 16 weeks. Some infected people develop chronic hepatitis. There is a higher incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in those who have had hepatitis B virus infection than in the general population. Hepatitis B is fatal in approximately 1% of cases of acute hepatitis B.

• Chronic hepatitis
• Cirrhosis
• Hepatocellular carcinoma

Call your health care provider if symptoms of hepatitis B develop.

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if hepatitis B symptoms do not resolve in 2 or 3 weeks, or if new symptoms develop.

Call your provider if you belong to a high risk group for hepatitis B and have not yet been vaccinated against the disease. Remember that vaccination is safe and free of adverse effects.

Review Date: 01/23/2006
Reviewed By: Jenifer K. Lehrer, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Frankford-Torresdale Hospital, Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.