Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Clinical Syndromes – General
- Part II Clinical Syndromes – Head and Neck
- Part III Clinical Syndromes – Eye
- Part IV Clinical Syndromes – Skin and Lymph Nodes
- Part V Clinical Syndromes – Respiratory Tract
- Part VI Clinical Syndromes – Heart and Blood Vessels
- Part VII Clinical Syndromes – Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Abdomen
- 42 Acute Viral Hepatitis
- 43 Chronic Hepatitis
- 44 Biliary Infection: Cholecystitis and Cholangitis
- 45 Pyogenic Liver Abscess
- 46 Infectious Complications of Acute Pancreatitis
- 47 Esophageal Infections
- 48 Gastroenteritis
- 49 Food Poisoning
- 50 Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
- 51 Sexually Transmitted Enteric Infections
- 52 Acute Appendicitis
- 53 Diverticulitis
- 54 Abdominal Abscess
- 55 Splenic Abscess
- 56 Peritonitis
- 57 Whipple's Disease and Sprue
- Part VIII Clinical Syndromes – Genitourinary Tract
- Part IX Clinical Syndromes – Musculoskeletal System
- Part X Clinical Syndromes – Neurologic System
- Part XI The Susceptible Host
- Part XII HIV
- Part XIII Nosocomial Infection
- Part XIV Infections Related to Surgery and Trauma
- Part XV Prevention of Infection
- Part XVI Travel and Recreation
- Part XVII Bioterrorism
- Part XVIII Specific Organisms – Bacteria
- Part XIX Specific Organisms – Spirochetes
- Part XX Specific Organisms – Mycoplasma and Chlamydia
- Part XXI Specific Organisms – Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma
- Part XXII Specific Organisms – Fungi
- Part XXIII Specific Organisms – Viruses
- Part XXIV Specific Organisms – Parasites
- Part XXV Antimicrobial Therapy – General Considerations
- Index
42 - Acute Viral Hepatitis
from Part VII - Clinical Syndromes – Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Abdomen
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Clinical Syndromes – General
- Part II Clinical Syndromes – Head and Neck
- Part III Clinical Syndromes – Eye
- Part IV Clinical Syndromes – Skin and Lymph Nodes
- Part V Clinical Syndromes – Respiratory Tract
- Part VI Clinical Syndromes – Heart and Blood Vessels
- Part VII Clinical Syndromes – Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Abdomen
- 42 Acute Viral Hepatitis
- 43 Chronic Hepatitis
- 44 Biliary Infection: Cholecystitis and Cholangitis
- 45 Pyogenic Liver Abscess
- 46 Infectious Complications of Acute Pancreatitis
- 47 Esophageal Infections
- 48 Gastroenteritis
- 49 Food Poisoning
- 50 Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
- 51 Sexually Transmitted Enteric Infections
- 52 Acute Appendicitis
- 53 Diverticulitis
- 54 Abdominal Abscess
- 55 Splenic Abscess
- 56 Peritonitis
- 57 Whipple's Disease and Sprue
- Part VIII Clinical Syndromes – Genitourinary Tract
- Part IX Clinical Syndromes – Musculoskeletal System
- Part X Clinical Syndromes – Neurologic System
- Part XI The Susceptible Host
- Part XII HIV
- Part XIII Nosocomial Infection
- Part XIV Infections Related to Surgery and Trauma
- Part XV Prevention of Infection
- Part XVI Travel and Recreation
- Part XVII Bioterrorism
- Part XVIII Specific Organisms – Bacteria
- Part XIX Specific Organisms – Spirochetes
- Part XX Specific Organisms – Mycoplasma and Chlamydia
- Part XXI Specific Organisms – Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma
- Part XXII Specific Organisms – Fungi
- Part XXIII Specific Organisms – Viruses
- Part XXIV Specific Organisms – Parasites
- Part XXV Antimicrobial Therapy – General Considerations
- Index
Summary
Acute viral hepatitis is a systemic infection that affects predominantly the liver and remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States despite the availability of effective vaccination against hepatitis A and B, the two major causes of viral hepatitis. There are five major hepatotropic viruses (A, B, C, D, and E) that cause acute hepatitis, resulting in acute hepatic necrosis and inflammation. Acute viral hepatitis typically runs its course in 6 months or less, in contrast to chronic hepatitis, which persists for longer. However, with modern serological and molecular diagnostic testing, the time course is less important in distinguishing acute from chronic viral hepatitis. The clinical illness produced by these viruses can range from asymptomatic and clinically inapparent to a fulminant and fatal acute infection. A major distinction between hepatitis A and E compared to hepatitis B, C, and D is that the former cause acute hepatitis only in contrast to the latter three, which are also important causes of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. Other viral infections, such as Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV), can present with prominent hepatic dysfunction, although they are usually multisystem disorders. Hepatitis G virus and TT virus (TTV) have also been implicated in causing hepatic dysfunction, but their clinical significance remains dubious.
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- Information
- Clinical Infectious Disease , pp. 299 - 308Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008