Q:

A patient is found to develop evidence of hepatitis approximately eight weeks after receiving blood transfusions during a surgical procedure. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true?

0

A patient is found to develop evidence of hepatitis approximately eight weeks after receiving blood transfusions during a surgical procedure. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true?


  1. The virus responsible is most likely hepatitis C
  2. A chronic carrier state will ultimately develop in most patients
  3. There is no role for interferon in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C viral infection
  4. Chronic infection with hepatitis C is not associated with an increased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma

All Answers

need an explanation for this answer? contact us directly to get an explanation for this answer

a. The virus responsible is most likely hepatitis C

b. A chronic carrier state will ultimately develop in most patients

Hepatitis C virus is a virus that is responsible for more than 90% of post-transfusion hepatitis and most sporadic non-A, non-B hepatitis throughout the world. The most common identifiable sources of acquisition of hepatitis C virus are prior transfusion of blood or blood-derived products or a history of intravenous illicit drug use. The usual incubation period of post-transfusion hepatitis C viral infection is 5 to 10 weeks. An initial elevation of liver enzymes may be associated with little or no clinical disturbance. In some patients, acute hepatitis C viral infection does not progress to chronic infection, however, chronic hepatitis C viral infection develops in up to 70% of patients with post-transfusion hepatitis C infection with many progressing to cirrhosis. Hepatitis C does not appear to alter life expectancy at least in the first 15 years of infection. However, once cirrhosis and end stage liver disease develop, the clinical syndrome is indistinguishable from other forms of chronic liver disease with a predisposition to the development of hepatoma. Interferon alpha is the only FDA approved therapy for chronic hepatitis C viral infection. There is some evidence that early administration of interferon in acute hepatitis C viral infection may reduce the risk of progression to the chronic state. As yet, there is no evidence that interferon alters the natural history of chronic hepatitis C viral infection or changes the incidence.

need an explanation for this answer? contact us directly to get an explanation for this answer

total answers (1)

Similar questions


need a help?


find thousands of online teachers now