A 62-year-old man came to MEDLATEC General Hospital for a check-up due to dark urine, fatigue and loss of appetite for 1 week. During this check-up, the patient was unexpectedly hospitalized for treatment to avoid serious progression of the disease, which was life-threatening, due to an outbreak of chronic hepatitis B.
Suffering consequences after 3 months of arbitrarily adjusting medication dosage
Due to subjectivity and carelessness, many people buy medicine to take on their own, or stop taking it halfway, which can cause unpredictable health consequences. The case of Mr. PVB (63 years old, Ha Nam) is a specific example.
Mr. B. came to MEDLATEC General Hospital for examination due to dark urine and loss of appetite. Mr. B. said that he was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B in 2009. From the time of diagnosis until March this year, he has always taken UCVR TDF according to the doctor's prescription.
The most recent test in March showed that his liver enzymes were stable and his viral load was below the threshold. However, in the next 3 months, he subjectively thought that his hepatitis B was under control, so he arbitrarily took the medicine "every other day", taking 1 pill every other day.
For about a week now, he has felt like he has no appetite, is tired, has increasingly dark urine, and produces little urine. Seeing these “unhealthy” signs, his family advised him to go to MEDLATEC General Hospital for a health check.
After receiving the results of the medical examination, ultrasound and tests, the family was extremely shocked when Mr. B. was ordered to be hospitalized for inpatient treatment to prevent the disease from progressing further, because this was an outbreak of chronic hepatitis B.
BSCKI. Nguyen Thi Ngoai - Infectious Diseases Specialist, MEDLATEC General Hospital received the patient and said that after taking the history of chronic hepatitis B, the risk factor of taking medication every other day, plus the reason for the visit due to dark urine, loss of appetite, and examination of organs and parts that did not detect any abnormalities, the preliminary diagnosis was to monitor the outbreak of chronic hepatitis B. At the same time, the patient was advised to do hematology, biochemistry, microbiology, and abdominal ultrasound tests to have a definitive diagnosis.
The patient's test results showed many indicators increased dramatically.
As predicted by the doctor, liver enzyme test results (AST, ALT) increased 34 times, Albumin: decreased, AFP: increased, especially HBV DNA test - a test to determine the quantity or concentration of the virus in the blood of patients infected with hepatitis B virus gave the result of 10^7 IU/ml. Abdominal ultrasound showed a slightly coarse liver image. From this result, the patient was diagnosed with a chronic hepatitis B outbreak and was advised to be hospitalized for inpatient treatment to avoid severe progression of the disease.
Arbitrarily stopping or adjusting medication dosage – Harmful effects for people with chronic hepatitis B
Associate Professor, Dr. Trinh Thi Ngoc - Infectious Diseases Expert (MEDLATEC Healthcare System), former Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases (Bach Mai Hospital), Vice President of the Vietnam Liver and Biliary Association with more than 40 years of experience shared: "Chronic hepatitis B requires a long time of treatment, there is currently no cure, antiviral drugs are prescribed to inhibit the replication of the virus, limit liver damage from progressing to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Due to the long time of management, examination and treatment, in practice, I have encountered cases where people are tired of wasting time and money, so they stop taking medication on their own."
People need to be vigilant if the test results for liver and biliary diseases increase abnormally.
At the same time, experts said, there are cases where only liver enzymes are increased, but lead to liver failure and need for dialysis. The cause is due to lack of treatment, or arbitrarily stopping medication. This is a fairly common condition today, leaving a burden on the health sector and the health and life of the patient.
Sharing the roadmap for Mr. PVB's health management in the coming time, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thai Son - Microbiology Expert, Deputy Director of MEDLATEC Testing Center said, " Because patient B. did not comply with the treatment regimen, it led to a bad consequence of a virus outbreak, so in addition to needing to be hospitalized for emergency treatment, the patient needs to comply with the doctor's treatment prescription. After 1 month of treatment, if the condition does not improve, the patient needs to do a HBV Genotype test, drug resistance mutation to assess the risk of hepatitis B drug resistance to change the treatment regimen. Because patients who voluntarily stop taking medication often have a very high risk of drug resistance ."
Experts recommend that people should follow the examination and treatment schedule as instructed by their doctor. Or go to the doctor immediately if there are signs of suspected hepatitis B such as fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, muscle pain, fever, yellow skin, yellow eyes, dark urine, etc.
3 principles to keep the liver healthy for hepatitis B patients
Regular health check-ups, or follow-up visits as directed by your doctor, are the best way to manage your health.
Viral hepatitis is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Acute and chronic hepatitis B, if not strictly managed and treated, can progress to cirrhosis, cancer, and even death. There is currently no cure for chronic hepatitis, so to limit liver damage, patients need to "pocket" the following principles:
- Do not stop antiviral treatment on your own, or stop treatment only when directed by your doctor. At the same time, periodically check to assess the possibility of HBV reactivation after stopping the medication.
- Regular health check-ups twice a year, or as specifically directed by your doctor.
- Follow a scientific and reasonable diet and lifestyle: Do not drink alcohol; Do not eat too spicy, too salty, too fatty foods; Choose lean meat, low in fat; Increase green vegetables and fruits; Whole grains (barley, brown rice, whole wheat noodles).
In addition, to actively prevent chronic hepatitis B effectively, patients need to:
- Hepatitis B vaccination for infants, young children, people with chronic diseases and those who do not have antibodies against HBV.
- Do not share needles or personal items such as toothbrushes, nail clippers, razors, etc. with anyone.
- Monogamous sexual relations, if the other person has hepatitis B, use protection during sex.
- Do not abuse stimulants such as alcohol and tobacco to avoid harming the liver.
In response to World Hepatitis Day, from July 15 to August 15, 2024, MEDLATEC will provide free 2,870 rapid HBsAg tests - the surface antigen of the HBV virus, indicating whether the body is infected with the hepatitis B virus or not. If the result is positive for HBsAg, it means the body is infected with the hepatitis B virus; if HBsAg is negative, it means that the body is not infected with the hepatitis B virus. This is the first test, basically prescribed for all cases of health check-ups, especially those with risk factors for hepatitis B such as fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, muscle pain, fever, yellow skin, yellow eyes, dark urine, having sex with many people/people with hepatitis B... The free program applies to all customers who register to use the home sample collection service in Hanoi area. MEDLATEC offers free hepatitis B (HBsAg) testing to all people who make an appointment for on-site testing in Hanoi, valid until August 15, 2024. By participating in this special promotion program, customers can be completely assured of accurate and reliable diagnostic results because they are automatically analyzed on the most modern machine system and managed according to international standards ISO 15189:2012 and CAP (USA). At the same time, customers will receive advice from doctors immediately after receiving the results. For all service contact information, or to schedule a promotion, please contact the hotline 1900 56 56 56. |
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