Hepatobiliary experts recommend what you need to know about acute hepatitis in children

Hepatitis What is the current situation in children?

According to Dr. Hoa, Hepatitis Acute is a condition in which the liver is newly damaged due to many causes such as viruses, bacteria, toxins, metabolic disorders, hemodynamic disorders, immune disorders or systemic diseases…

This leads to the destruction of liver cells. The majority of cases Hepatitis The acute phase is reversible after the causative agent is eliminated.

In a few cases, the course of the disease is severe, causing irreversible liver failure and possibly death. In some cases, the disease can progress for a long time, leading to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, etc.

News from the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the first cases were reported in Europe and North America, and the number of cases increased rapidly in many countries around the world. Several countries in Asia and Southeast Asia have also reported cases.

From the first cases recorded in October 2021, as of May 10, there have been 348 cases in 25 countries, an increase of 70 cases compared to the organization’s report on May 6. 5.

According to WHO, Hepatitis Acute unexplained causes in children have some common features as follows:

The cases are children from 0 to 16 years old. Young children get sick more often. There are one or more symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. There are symptoms of liver damage of varying degrees such as jaundice, yellowing of the eyes, discolored stools, destruction of liver cells. increased levels of liver enzymes in the blood).

No known common causes of liver damage have been found.

Patients can recover after active supportive treatment, however, in some severe cases, irreversible liver failure is required, liver transplantation is required and there have been cases of death.

“Parents need to pay attention to monitor their children, if children have suspicious signs such as jaundice, yellow eyes, pale stools, lethargy, etc., they need to take the child to a medical facility to be diagnosed. early and timely treatment”, emphasized Dr. Hoa.

Information you need to know about the disease Hepatitis Current levels of mystery in children

Dr. Hoa shared the information that parents want to know about the current mysterious liver disease in the world.

Causes of a series of cases Hepatitis What is the cause in children?

According to Dr. Hoa, through reports in the world, the exact cause of the disease has not been identified yet. Hepatitis this acute.

Up to now, in the world, the rate of liver damage causing acute liver failure of unknown cause still fluctuates in the range of 25-30%. However, these cases are quite scattered and do not appear in clusters like other cases Hepatitis The unknown cause is currently being discussed a lot in recent days.

There are a number of hypotheses being proposed and scientists are focusing on research and clarification such as: The relationship of Adeno virus, especially Adeno virus strain 41, to the onset of acute liver injury; The role of causing liver damage of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (which causes Covid-19 disease)

Or the emergence of a new virus variant or not? Changes and immune response of children after Covid-19 infection, as well as response to other common viruses….

Cause Hepatitis Is the acute caused by the Adeno virus?

According to WHO, 70% of patients in this group Hepatitis The cause is unknown in the UK and 50% of cases in the US are found to have adenovirus strain 41.

About the Adeno virus, Dr. Hoa said, this is a virus that has been discovered since 1953 with many strains and can cause disease in many organs. The most common lesions caused by the Adeno virus are respiratory infections, conjunctivitis (pink eye), cystitis, meningitis, etc.

After Rota virus, Adeno virus is the second cause of disease in the gastrointestinal tract with symptoms in the stomach and intestines… In young children, common digestive disorders caused by Adeno virus include diarrhea, vomiting, and sadness. vomit.

According to previous studies, evidence from antibody testing shows that most children have had at least one adenovirus infection between 0 and 4 years of age. In the past, there have been isolated reports of a few pediatric patients with this virus causing liver damage in immunocompromised children.

“However, to date, there is not enough evidence to confirm that the adenovirus is the cause of the disease in this group of young patients Hepatitis However, the recognition of the presence of adenovirus in some pediatric patients needs to be continued to be monitored and studied in the near future,” said Dr. Hoa.

Is the SARS-CoV-2 virus (which causes Covid-19) the cause of the disease?

To date, out of 348 cases, some children have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 10-18% of sick children have evidence of co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus and adenovirus. The role of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in causing disease is not really clear and needs to be further studied.

Is the Covid-19 vaccine the cause? Hepatitis level it?

Most of the sick children are young children who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19. Therefore, there is no relationship between the Covid-19 vaccine and Hepatitis grant.

Hepatitis How are acutely of unknown etiology treated?

Because the cause of the disease is unknown, there is no specific treatment. The main treatment measures are symptomatic treatment and supportive treatment, including aggressive resuscitation measures for severe liver failure cases such as plasma exchange, continuous dialysis, etc., and possibly transplantation. emergency liver.

The goal is to provide early supportive treatment for children to limit the level of damage to the lowest level and enhance the ability to restore liver function and liver transplantation in case of decompensated liver failure.

Notes for parents about disease prevention Hepatitis provided for children

Dr. Hoa said that until now, the cause of liver damage in this group of patients is still unknown, so it is not possible to recommend active and specific preventive measures.

“However, young parents should not be too alarmed. We need to be calm and attentive to be able to detect early symptoms of gastrointestinal disease and liver damage in children.

Children who have symptoms of fever, abdominal pain, vomiting-nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, jaundice, conjunctivitis, etc., should be examined at medical facilities, “said Dr. Hoa.

According to Dr. Hoa, while waiting for research results to confirm the cause of the disease to take specific measures, disease prevention should follow the principle:

– Practice good personal hygiene, wear masks, wash hands often, especially before preparing food, before eating, after cleaning.

– Fully immunize children according to the immunization schedule, including hepatitis B vaccine, hepatitis A vaccine, and Covid-19 vaccine when indicated.

– Use clean food sources, ensure food hygiene and safety

– Pay special attention to the prevention of diseases for children in schools and kindergartens by ensuring hygiene, using separate personal items (drinking cups, spoons, eating bowls, face towels…); Clean and disinfect surfaces well; Proper waste disposal.