blood borne viruses: hepatitis Flashcards
what is hepatitis and which ones are most common and dangerous
-inflammation of the liver
-hepatitis viruses specifically target the liver and they replicate specifically in hepatocytes leading to the destruction of hepatocytes.
- Hep A is most common bu there is a vaccine and little long-term sequences.
Hep B and C are more concerning and have mild symptoms but can become chronic.
what is icteric sclera
whites of the eye are yellow
what type of jaundice does hepatitis cause
intrahepatic
if there is increased bilirubin in a LFT what does that mean
problem with pre-hepatic,intrahepatic or extra hepatic processing of bilirubin.
what does elevated ALT/AST indicate
hepatocyte damage and the problem is intrahepatic
what does increased ALP indicate in LFT
problem is binary tract so problem is extrahepatic
how is Hep B transmitted
predominantly vertical
but can also be through sexual contact, intravenous drug use, close household contacts, significant blood exposure.
symptoms of acute Hep B
jaundice fatigue abdominal pain anorexia/nausea/vomitting arthralgia- joint stiffness
how do you test for Hep B
serology
HBV DNA PCR test
HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb &HBcAb detectable in blood
what is chronic Hep B defined as
Persistence of HbsAg after 6 months
treatment for Hep B
no cure as it integrates into host genome
life-long antivirals to suppress viral replication
not required for inactive carriers
how is Hep C transmitted
people who IV drugs
sexual contact and mother to child transmissions are quite low
symptoms of Hep C
80% will have no symptoms
others may have - fatigue, anorexia , nausea, abdominal pain
how is Hep C detected
serology- anti-Hep C antibody only
viral PCR
treatment for Hep C
can be cured
directory acting antiviral drug combo
no vaccine though
