Hepatitis B: A Crash Course Yu-Ming Chang October 21, 2014
Prevalence of Chronic HBV Infection Age in diseases-related-to-travel/hepatitis-b
HCC Screening Africans over 20 years of age Asian men over 40 years Asian women over 50 years Any carrier over 40 years with persistent or intermittent ALT elevation and/or high HBV DNA level >2,000 IU/mL Cirrhosis Family history of HCC
Take Home Points HBV infection can be complicated but treatment is simple HBV-induced transaminitis can wax/wane Persistently normal ALT with HBS antigen positivity do not require treatment Chronic HBV: get CMP, INR, CBC, HBV DNA before referring to hepatology Don’t forget co-infections: HCV, HDV, HIV Don’t forget vaccination: HAV, flu, Pneumococcal Don’t forget HCC screen in non-cirrhotic patients