Hepatitis E

Hep E diagnosis and management for doctors, medical students, finals and MRCP PACES

 

Epidemiology of hepatitis E

  • Prevalent in developing countries

 

Causes of hepatitis E

  • Faeco-oral spread is commonest
  • Person-to-person spread is rare
  • Animal reservoir: especially pigs

 

Video on the diagnosis of hepatitis E

Presentations of hepatitis E

  • Mostly presents as an acute viral infection similar to Hepatitis A (see Hep A)
  • Can progress to chronic infection, especially in immunocompromised individuals (solid-organ transplant recipients are particularly at risk)

 

Diagnosis of hepatitis E

  • Serum HEV antibodies

 

Initial management of hepatitis E

  • Supportive treatment for acute infection
  • Ribavirin +/- peg-interferon for chronic infection
  • A vaccine has now been developed and is approved for use in China

 

Complications of hepatitis E

  • Chronic liver disease and its associated complications
  • Pregnant women who contract HEV are at risk of acute fulminant liver failure

 

Prognosis of hepatitis E

  • Usually a self-limiting disease with a good prognosis
  • However, it has an overall mortality of 2%
  • Pregnant women who contract HEV have a mortality of 20%, especially if infected in the 3rd trimester

 

Click here for medical student OSCE and PACES questions about Hepatitis E

Common Hepatitis E exam questions for medical students, finals, OSCEs and MRCP PACES

Click here to download free teaching notes on hepatitis E: Hepatitis E

Perfect revision for medical students, finals, OSCEs and MRCP PACES