NURSING JOURNAL

BALUNES, MARGARITA L.

3BSN MAIN_2

HEPATITIS B

Case Scenario
 A 41-year-old previously healthy woman presented to the emergency department with
asthenia, nausea and choluria developing over 1 week. She was afebrile and hemodynamically
stable on admission. On physical examination, the patient did not present signs of chronic liver
disease. Yet, the patient was jaundiced and had pain on upper abdominal wall palpation, with no
signs of peritoneal irritation or ascites. Hepatic encephalopathy was not observed. No family
history of liver disease was registered. The patient was married and personal sexual history
pretrained no relevance (one sexual partner, who tested negative for previous or chronic HBV
infection).

DESCRIPTION / DISCUSSION

Hepatitis B is a disease caused by a virus that infects the liver. It spreads through infected
blood, semen, and other body fluids during sexual contact. It can be passed from mother to baby
during childbirth. It also can spread when people share needles to inject drugs or share things
that may have blood on them. These include razors and toothbrushes. Needles used for tattoos,
body piercing, or acupuncture can spread the disease if they are not cleaned the right way.

After you get the virus, it may be months before you see symptoms. You may never
notice them. You can give the disease to other people before and after you have symptoms.
Hepatitis B can make you tired. It can cause a fever, nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, and
dark urine. Your skin or eyes may look yellow. This is called jaundice.

Most people get better in several weeks, but it can take several months. For some people
the virus stays in their bodies (become chronically infected). If the virus stays in your body for a
long time, it can cause serious liver disease. After you have had the virus and feel better, you will
not get it again.

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
POTENTIAL HEALTH EDUCATION

Patient education is the process of influencing patient behavior and producing the
changes in knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to maintain or improve health through the
provision of information and the teaching of patients.

Reduce your activity to match your energy level.

Avoid alcohol for as long as your doctor tells you to. This may be months. Alcohol can
make liver problems worse.
Drink plenty of fluids. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids,
talk with your doctor before you increase the amount of fluids you drink.
Tell your doctor, dentist, and anyone else who may come in contact with your blood
about your illness.
Be sure to carefully get rid of sanitary napkins and tampons or other disposable items that
have your blood on them. Place them in sealed plastic bags before you throw them away.
If you have long-term hepatitis B, always use latex condoms during any sexual activity.
You can infect others with the virus even if you do not have symptoms

SUMMARY

HBV is a leading cause of death worldwide and the primary cause of hepatic cirrhosis
and HCC. Chronic HBV infection is an increasingly important public health problem. The
natural history of chronic HBV infection is determined to a large extent by the level of HBV
replication, as reflected in circulating levels of HBV DNA in serum. Available evidence
indicates that control of HBV replication with antiviral therapy decreases the incidence of
complications. Individuals with chronic hepatitis B require regular monitoring for viral activity,
viral load reduction, drug resistance, and disease progression. Enhanced understanding of viral,
host, and environmental factors that influence disease progression may ultimately improve the
management of patients with chronic HBV infection. Ideally, prevention of hepatitis B through
global vaccination programs and routinely applied neonatal and primary adulthood prophylaxis
should be pursued.