Abdominal: Acute hepatitis Flashcards
what is hepatitis?
inflammationof the liver
what is hepatitis caused by?
- viral infection
- liver damage caused by alcohol
what type of virus is Hep A and how is it transferred?
- RNA virus
- faecal-oral route usually by contaminated water or food
why hep infection is self-limiting and does not cause chronic liver disease?
Hep A
Hep B (in adults)
Hep E
what type of virus is Hep B and how is it transferred?
- DNA marker
- direct contact with blood or bodily fluids, e.g. during sexual intercourse, sharing needles (i.e. IV drug users or tattoos), “vertical transmission” from infected mother to child.
which Hep virus is uncommon in the UK?
Hep B
what type of virus is Hep C and how is it transferred?
- RNA virus
- Blood and bodily fluids
what is the most common type of hepatitis virus in the UK?
Hep C (chronic)
Hep E (Acute)
The UK has vaccinations available for which hep viruses?
Hep A
Hep B
which hepatitis virus needs hepatitis B virus to already be present in n individual in order to survive?
Hep D
NB: There’s no vaccine specifically for hepatitis D, but the hepatitis B vaccine can help protect you from it.
what type of virus is Hep E and how is it transferred?
- RNA virus
- faecal oral route
which hepatitis virus is associated with he consumption of raw meat?
Hep E
how is hep D transferred?
blood-to-blood contact orsexual contact
what are risk factors for hepatitis?
- high alcohol intake
- high fat diet
- hygiene (wash food and hands, cook meat thoroughly)
- travel to countries where hepatitis is more prevalent (e.g. SE Asia, sub-sharan Africa)
what are clinical features of acute hepatitis?
Short-term (acute) hepatitis often has no noticeable symptoms, so you may not realise you have it.
what are clinical features of chronic hepatitis?
- muscle and joint pain
- fever
- nausea and vomiting
- fatigue, malaise
- loss of appetite
- abdo pain
- dark urine
- pale/grey coloured poo
- itchy skin
- jaundice
which conditions present in a similar way to chronic hepatitis?
- alcohol liver disease
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
- Autoimmune hepatitis.
- Metabolic and genetic disorders (such as Wilson’s disease, hereditary haemochromatosis, alpha1antitrypsin deficiency).
- Drug-induced liver disease.
- Granulomatous disorders.
- Liver cirrhosis.
- Primary binary scleriosis.
- Hepatitis caused by other viruses such as hepatitisA,C, andD.
what diagnostic test would you do to confirm a diagnosis of Hepatitis?
- Blood test (LFTs)
- Heptatitis serology
what would you expect to see happen to the LFTs of a person with hepatitis?
- ALT and AST significantly increased
- Bilirubin may be elevated
- prothrombin time may be prolonged
which antigens do you test foe when requesting a hepatitis B serology?
- hepatitisB surface antigen (HBsAg)
- antibody to hepatitisB core antigen (anti-HBc)
NB: both indicate acute or chronic hepatitisB infection
what does detection of ImmunoglobulinM antibody to hepatitisB core antigen (IgM anti-HBc) indicate?
current or past acute infection.
which antigens do you test foe when requesting a hepatitis A serology?
- hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin M (HAV-IgM)
- hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin G (HAV-IgG)
what does detection of hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin M (HAV-IgM) indicate?
acute hepatitis A infection is likely
what does detection of hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin G (HAV-IgG) indicate?
this indicates current or past hepatitis A infection, or immunity from previous vaccination.
