Hepatitis D | Medtick
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Hepatitis D

What is it?

Viral infection causing swelling on liver.

  • Symptoms can appear after three months of first exposure.
  • It can only infect you when you also have Hepatitis B.
  • There is no vaccine again hepatitis D however one should consider the hepatitis B vaccine (including booster), if one is at risk of hepatitis B and Hepatitis D.

Screening

  • Screening should be done on all patients who are Hepatitis B positive
  • Screening should be done once a year if at risk of Hepatitis D.

Hepatitis D (HDV) diagnosis involves detecting evidence of hepatitis D virus infection and confirming the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) because HDV requires HBV to replicate.

Test Purpose Interpretation
Anti-HDV antibody (IgM and total anti-HDV) Screening test for exposure to hepatitis D virus Positive indicates HDV infection or past exposure
HDV RNA PCR (Nucleic Acid Test) Detects HDV genetic material in blood Confirms active HDV infection and measures viral load
HBsAg (Hepatitis B surface antigen) Confirms underlying HBV infection Must be present for HDV infection
Anti-HBc IgM Helps distinguish acute HBV/HDV coinfection from chronic HBV with HDV superinfection Indicates recent HBV infection
Liver function tests (LFTs) Assesses liver injury May show raised ALT, AST, and bilirubin
HBeAg / HBV DNA testing Evaluates HBV activity Helps assess HBV status alongside HDV
Liver fibrosis assessment (FibroScan, ultrasound) Evaluates liver damage and cirrhosis risk Used in chronic infection monitoring

Diagnostic patterns

1. Acute HBV + HDV coinfection

  • HBsAg: Positive
  • Anti-HBc IgM: Positive
  • Anti-HDV IgM: Positive
  • HDV RNA: Positive

2. HDV superinfection (HDV infection in chronic hepatitis B)

  • HBsAg: Positive
  • Anti-HBc IgG: Positive
  • Anti-HDV: Positive
  • HDV RNA: Positive

ChatGPT can make mistakes, the purpose of the table and information above are for the diagnostic tools available only

Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs can be used sparingly under medical supervision, however Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs is not recommended in asthma or asthma type symptoms.  Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs should not be used if one has cirrhosis (end-stage liver disease), check with your Medical doctor/Pharmacist when one can have any type of fever reducing medication and the appropriate dose to make sure it suitable for you.

Cause

  • Found in blood:
    • Tattoo, body piercings in unlicensed place
    • Sharing toothbrush, razors and towels which are infected
    • Medical treatment where product not sterilised
  • Treatments:
    • Sharing needles, blood transfusions
  • Illicit drugs:
    • Sharing needles
  • Vaginal fluid, semen:
    • Sexual intercourse (unprotected sex)
  • Saliva:
    • Kissing.
    • Infected blood gets splashed in eyes/mouth especially at risk, nurse surgeons, healthcare lab technicians and social workers
  • Passed from infected mother to baby during child birth

Symptoms

  • General discomfort (muscle weakness), uneasiness or ill feeling (malaise) and/or fatigue (tiredness)?
  • Aching, painful muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness?
  • Joint pain and stiffness?
  • High temperature greater than 38°C (100°F) or over and/or chills and sweats longer than 72 hours?
  • Changes in the way things taste or smell (smokers will often develop a sudden distaste for cigarettes)?
  • Pain in the upper right part of the abdomen (generally mild, but constant)?
  • Abdominal pain and/or are constant violently vomiting or vomiting longer than two days?
  • Diarrhoea?
  • Red and/or raised hive rash (especially hepatitis B)?

Then within 2-5 days the infection will trigger the build-up of bilirubin (an orange-yellow pigment produced when the liver breaks down old red blood cells).

Further symptoms include (if these symptoms occurs one needs urgent medical advice):

  • Jaundice (yellowing of skin and whites of the eyes)?
  • Dark coloured urine?
  • Pale or clay-coloured stools?

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

Medical Emergency Condition

And/or do not wait, phone for an ambulance if have or develop:

This condition can lead to:

  • Long term tiredness

This condition may show similar symptoms to:

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice

Detailed Information

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  • Nathnac

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