Clinical medicineLesson 4 of 5 in the course Gastrointestinal and liver disease

Hepatitis: Causes, Disease Course, Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment

5 flashcards · 4 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Hepatitis is inflammation of liver tissue. It can be mild and temporary, persist for years, or become a life-threatening emergency. This lesson introduces the condition, its acute and chronic forms, and the symptoms and complications that may occur.

The word hepatitis combines the Greek word for liver, hepar, with a suffix meaning inflammation. Hepatitis describes inflammation of the liver, not a single cause or a single disease. Some people have no symptoms, while others develop jaundice, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, abdominal pain, or diarrhea.

All flashcards

What does hepatitis mean?
Inflammation of liver tissue; it can have different causes and courses.
How do acute and chronic hepatitis differ?
Acute hepatitis lasts less than six months; chronic hepatitis lasts longer.
What is the prodromal phase of acute viral hepatitis?
An early phase often involving nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, poor appetite, joint pain, or headache.
What is fulminant hepatitis?
Rare, life-threatening extensive liver-cell injury that can cause bleeding problems and encephalopathy.
What is cirrhosis?
Extensive, lasting liver scarring that can impair liver function and cause complications.

Quiz questions

  1. What must be present for hepatitis D to infect a person?Answer: Hepatitis B infection.
  2. What can liver imaging show but cannot directly establish?Answer: Whether liver inflammation or fibrosis is present.
  3. Which test can help determine whether hepatitis C virus is currently present after a positive antibody test?Answer: An HCV RNA test.
  4. What is the usual management for uncomplicated hepatitis A?Answer: Supportive care, such as hydration, nutrition, and monitoring.

Based on the Wikipedia article Hepatitis, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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