Viral hepatitis
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver that can have various causes. Viral hepatitis is the inflammation liver disease due to virus infection. Other causes of hepatitis include toxic (mushrooms, arsenic), drugs (paracetamol, chemotherapy) or the autoimmunity (autoimmune hepatitis where the body's defenses damage the liver).
Causes
Different viruses can cause hepatitis. The most common are hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses, Epstein Barr virus or cytomegalovirus.
- Hepatitis A and E are transmitted by contaminated food and water or by direct contact with the patient.
- Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and other body fluids (saliva, semen); It can also be spread at the time of delivery from the infected mother to the newborn.
- Hepatitis C is transmitted through the blood or through sexual contact. It can also be transmitted during childbirth.
- Hepatitis D only affects people infected with the hepatitis B virus
Symptoms
The severity of hepatitis depends on the virus that causes it. The symptoms of all viral hepatitis are similar. Typically, inflammation of the liver manifests with fever, poor general condition and tiredness. There are alterations in the digestive system such as nausea and vomiting. One of the typical symptoms of a child with hepatitis is jaundice (yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes). The jaundice is due to the accumulation of bilirubin that the liver is not able to eliminate. Sometimes this accumulation of bilirubin causes a very annoying itch.
Evolution depends on the type of virus it infects. It can be fulminant (when the liver fails drastically in a few days or hours) or has a slower and not so serious evolution. Most are acute hepatitis (lasting a few weeks but no more than six months). A small part are chronic (their duration is greater than six months). It cannot be predicted if hepatitis will have one course or another.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is made through a blood test. When there is an inflammation of the liver transaminases rise; the analysis also serves to know what type of virus is causing the liver infection. In some cases, a liver biopsy may be necessary.
The prognosis of the disease is usually good in the case of hepatitis A and most of the B since they usually heal in less than 6 months. Chronic forms (such as hepatitis C or some B) tend to have a worse prognosis because they do not heal completely and cause progressive liver damage.
Treatment
It depends on the cause. In the case of acute hepatitis, treatment is only symptomatic: rest, a light diet and isolation to avoid infecting others. In chronic hepatitis, medicines are given that may or may not be successful in controlling the infection. Fulminant hepatitis requires admission to the Intensive Care Unit. There are hepatitis B and A vaccines that prevent infection.
(Updated at Apr 14 / 2024)