Waqar Hussain, Irfan Hanif, Ghazala Jaffery, Aslam M.
Children With Acute Viral Hepatitis: A One Year Study at Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore.
Proceeding Shaikh Zayed Postgrad Med Comp Jan ;22(2):43-7.

Objectives: To study the clinical spectrum, outcome and etiological agents of acute viral hepatitis in admitted patients at Paediatric Department Shaikh Zaycd hospital, Lahore. Setting: Paediatric Department Shaikh Zayed hospital, Lahore. Duration: One Year from November 2004-0ctober 2005. Study design: Retrospective Descriptive study. Inclusion criteria: I. Age between 1-15 years; 2. All patients admitted with acute viral hepatitis in the Paediatric department. Exclusion criteria: 1. Children with drug induced hepatitis; 2. Children with chronic liver disease; 3. Children with obstructive jaundice. Results: A total of 69 patients out of 2391 admitted patients were included during that period out of them 43(62%) were males and 26 (38%) were females. In our study jaundice was the presenting complaint in 52(75%) patients, fo llowed by vomiting in 48(69%), fever in 42(60%), dark colour urine in 30 (43%), anorexia in 25 (36%), abdominal pain in 24 (35%), yellow colour stool in 7(10%) and irritability in 2 (3%) patients. 13 patients had a positive fami ly history of hepatitis out of them 3(4.3%) had Hepatitis A virus (HAY), 7( 10%) Hepatitis B virus (HBY), and 3 (4.3%)had Hepatitis C virus (HCY). History of blood transfusion was found in 7(10%) patients while it was negative in remaining 62(90%). Only 2(2.8%) patients were vaccinated against HAY and 9 (13%) against HBY. lcterus was present in 52(75%), 65(94%) had tenderness in the right hypochondrium, hepatomega ly in 57 (83%) and splenomegaly in 7% and one patient was drowsy at the time of admission. All the patients were screened against HAY, HBY, HCY, HOV and HEY in a serial wise approach. Out of them 50(72%) patients were HAY IgM positive, 4(5.7%) HbsAg positive, 2(2.8%) had anti-HCY, 2(2.8%) had HEY lgM and 1(1.4%) had HDY+HbsAg. In 10 (14%) patients no viral marker was detected out of these five viruses. Out of 69 patients 4(5.7%) developed hepatic encephalopathy. Out of these 2 pts. expired and 2 survived. A total of 67(97%) were discharged and 2 (3%) expired. Conclusions: Jaundice was the main presenting complaint followed by vom iting with significant recovery and Hepatitis A was the· most common cause of acute viral hepatitis in children admitted in hospital.

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