• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Patient Education

• Highlights
• Introduction
• Diagnosis
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B and D
• Hepatitis C
• Autoimmune Hepatitis
• Symptom Management
• Outlook
• Resources
• References

Hepatitis

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of hepatitis.

Highlights

Drug Approval

Peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) was approved in 2005 for treatment of chronic hepatitis B. The injectable drug was previously approved for chronic hepatitis C.

Drug Warning

Patients with hepatitis A or B should not take acetaminophen (Tylenol), according to research presented at the 2006 Digestive Disease Week conference. The nonprescription pain reliever may increase the risk of liver failure.

Herbal Remedies

Milk thistle does not reduce deaths from hepatitis B or C liver diseases, according to a Cochrane Database review.

Hepatitis A

• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control now recommends hepatitis A vaccination for all children ages 1 year or older.
• Routine vaccination of children has dramatically reduced hepatitis A outbreaks.

Hepatitis B

• Vaccinating newborn babies of mothers infected with hepatitis B prevents the virus from being passed from mother to child.
• Patients who are resistant to lamivudine (Epivir) can benefit from switching to entecavir (Baraclude). The drugs are similar, but entecavir appears to have less risk of drug resistance.
• Adefovir (Hepsera) must be taken on a long-term basis to prevent the hepatitis B virus from replicating. When patients stop taking the drug too soon, the virus may return.

Hepatitis C

• Illegal intravenous drug use is the main risk factor for hepatitis C. A 2006 study found that nearly half of all patients with hepatitis C have a history of injecting drugs.
• The longer a person has chronic hepatitis C, the greater their risk of developing cirrhosis or liver disease, indicates a 2005 study.
• A combination of interferon and ribavirin works better than interferon alone for treating hepatitis C but the combination can cause side effects. Patients with certain types of hepatitis C may do well with a shorter course of treatment.

• Review Date: 8/17/2006
• Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, In-Depth Reports; Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.