clinico-epidemiological study of acute viral hepatitis in hospitalised adults in Benghazi, Libya [SPLAJ]

ABSTRACT

164 adults were admitted with acute viral hepatitis at the Jamahiriya Hospital, Benghazi from January 1986 to June 1987. HbsAg positevely was detected in 26.22% of the cases. 100% presence of antibodies against hepatitis-A in Libyan children under 7 years was recently established by Gebreel et al. [1983]. Therefore, the remaining 73.78% of the cases were presumed to be suffering from viral hepatitis non-A non-B. Commonest mode of transmission in a majority [90.24%] was nonparenteral or horizontal. Yellow discolouration of sclera was the commonest clinical sign. Tender hepatomegaly was found in 73.17% of the cases while splenomegaly only in 17.07%. Recovery was slow in those patients who at the time of admission had high serum bilirubin [over 20 mg%] blood urea less than 3 mg%, hypokalemia, high prothrombin time and leukocytosis, suggesting a poor prognosis