Hepatitis D screening
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Hepatitis D |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Hepatitis D screening On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Hepatitis D screening |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Varun Kumar, M.B.B.S. [2]
Overview
Screening
Drug treatment programs should screen all patients for immunity to hepatitis B. Routine screening for hepatitis D is not indicated in persons who are HBsAg positive but asymptomatic. However, the following screening and prevention procedures may be appropriate:[1]
- Patients known to be HBsAg positive who have acute or chronic hepatitis may be tested for hepatitis D. The followup care and counseling, however, of a person co-infected with hepatitis D is not different from that of a person who is HBsAg positive. Therefore, knowing if the patient is co-infected with hepatitis D is of limited clinical significance.
- Patients with acute hepatitis B who are not yet HBsAg positive, but are immunoglobulin M (IgM) hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) positive, may be tested for HDV; however, again, the presence of HDV antibody will not alter the care or counseling of such a patient.
- Patients who are HBsAg positive and/or HDV antibody positive should be advised not to share razors, toilet articles, or drinking and eating utensils.
- Patients who are not already immune to hepatitis B virus should be vaccinated against the virus.
- Screening is not necessary in the general population at no risk for HBV or HDV.
References
- ↑ Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Screening for Infectious Diseases Among Substance Abusers. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 1993. (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 6.) Chapter 15 - Viral Hepatitis D.