ABSTRACT
Objectives: To study the clinical spectrum, outcome and etiological agents of acute viral hepatitis in admitted patients at Paediatric Department Shaikh Zaycd hospital, Lahore. Setting: Paediatric Department Shaikh Zayed hospital, Lahore
Duration: One Year from November 2004-0ctober 2005. Study design: Retrospective Descriptive study. Inclusion criteria: I. Age between 1-15 years; 2. All patients admitted with acute viral hepatitis in the Paediatric department. Exclusion criteria: 1. Children with drug induced hepatitis; 2. Children with chronic liver disease; 3. Children with obstructive jaundice
Results: A total of 69 patients out of 2391 admitted patients were included during that period out of them 43[62%] were males and 26 [38%] were females. In our study jaundice was the presenting complaint in 52[75%] patients, followed by vomiting in 48[69%], fever in 42[60%], dark colour urine in 30 [43%], anorexia in 25 [36%], abdominal pain in 24 [35%], yellow colour stool in 7[10%] and irritability in 2 [3%] patients. 13 patients had a positive family history of hepatitis out of them 3[4.3%] had Hepatitis A virus [HAY], 7[10%] Hepatitis B virus [HBY], and 3 [4.3%] had Hepatitis C virus [HCY]. History of blood transfusion was found in 7[10%] patients while it was negative in remaining 62[90%]. Only 2[2.8%] patients were vaccinated against HAY and 9 [13%] against HBY. Icterus was present in 52[75%], 65[94%] had tenderness in the right hypochondrium, hepatomegaly in 57 [83%] and splenomegaly in 7% and one patient was drowsy at the time of admission. All the patients were screened against HAY, HBY, HCY, HOV and HEY in a serial wise approach. Out of them 50[72%] patients were HAY IgM positive, 4[5.7%] HbsAg positive, 2[2.8%] had anti-HCY, 2[2.8%] had HEY lgM and 1[1.4%] had HDY+HbsAg. In 10 [14%] patients no viral marker was detected out of these five viruses. Out of 69 patients 4[5.7%] developed hepatic encephalopathy. Out of these 2 pts. expired and 2 survived. A total of 67[97%] were discharged and 2 [3%] expired
Conclusions: Jaundice was the main presenting complaint followed by vomiting with significant recovery and Hepatitis A was the· most common cause of acute viral hepatitis in children admitted in hospital