Sức Khỏe

Mysterious hepatitis: Is liver enzyme testing necessary for children?

Currently on social network Spread a lot of content recommending that parents take their children for testing liver enzymes If your child has signs of stomach pain, vomiting.

According to doctors, although the cause of the mysterious hepatitis has not been determined, it is highly likely that it is due to a virus. If the cause is viral, then testing for liver enzymes in a child will not be of value in preventing or identifying a child at risk for the condition. acute hepatitis It is not clear whether this is the cause or not.

Mysterious hepatitis: Is liver enzyme testing necessary for children?  - 1 . photo

Parents take their children to the test due to increased gastrointestinal symptoms at Children’s Hospital 2

DANG PHONG

Many causes ofHepatitis in children

Hepatitis in children is a disease that has existed for a long time, the causes are very diverse. Hepatitis can be caused by chemicals, poisoning, underlying disease, or a metabolic disease. Therefore, it is impossible to go for a liver test to check if the baby has mysterious hepatitis or not. This is the recommendation of doctor (BS) Truong Huu Khanh, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Infectious Diseases Association.

According to Dr. Khanh, there are a number of services that rely on simple digestive symptoms in children such as vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and assignment of pre-hepatitis testing, which is not accurate. Currently, the percentage of children with digestive disorders and then health Normal returns very high this season. The test for a high liver enzyme index cannot conclude whether a mysterious hepatitis is present and there is no basis for treatment. When there are 2 most noticeable symptoms, which are jaundice and dark urine, it is possible to think that the liver is being damaged, possibly due to a mysterious hepatitis disease.

Dr. Le Thanh Phuong, Head of the Department of On-Demand Examination, Head of the Liver Unit – Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City, said that testing for liver enzymes for fear of children contracting mysterious hepatitis is unnecessary. necessary, and at the same time advise parents not to follow the movement and the information spread on social networks leading to a waste of time and money. Currently in Vietnam, liver diseases are very common. Children are most often infected with hepatitis virus to C and A. Especially, hepatitis B epidemic in children can break out causing liver cancer, cirrhosis and death. Tropical Diseases Hospital also receives many cases of acute hepatitis B virus. However, now that there is a national vaccination program for hepatitis B in children, parents should give priority to children getting vaccinated to prevent the disease.

Doctors also note: If children have problems related to the digestive tract, respiratory tract, especially during the outbreak of dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth disease, it is necessary to take them to a medical facility for diagnosis by the doctor. and decide what tests are needed.

What to do if a child is suspected of having mysterious hepatitis?

According to Dr. Le Thanh Phuong, mysterious hepatitis can be understood as a form of acute hepatitis in children of unknown cause, most likely adeno virus – a virus that is not so new in our country. At present, Tropical Diseases Hospital has not received any cases of liver abnormalities related to this acute hepatitis.

Doctor Truong Huu Khanh advises: If you suspect that your child has it, mysterious hepatitisSpecifically, children with jaundice, yellow eyes, dark urine, parents need to note the following: First, children must limit exercise, because if they have jaundice due to liver failure, they exercise a lot. lead to faster liver failure. Second, it is necessary to pay attention to all oral drugs, especially paracetamol. If the child has a fever, paracetamol can be taken, but the dose is moderate, only 10 mg per 1 kg of the child’s weight and should be taken after 6 hours each time, it will not affect the liver. As for other antibiotics, it is prudent to consult a doctor about whether the drug has an impairment or risk of liver damage.

Currently, with acute viral hepatitis, Children’s Hospital 2 (Department of Infection, Department of Gastroenterology, Department of Resuscitation …) and Hospital of Tropical Diseases HCMC (specialist in liver) receive and treat very well. regularly. With mild cases of hepatitis, children are encouraged to rest, have a safe diet as prescribed by a doctor, and avoid using too complicated drugs; Severe cases can be treated for hepatic pre-coma, liver dialysis…

This process according to BS Khanh is already available. Children’s Hospital 2 also has a ready plan to coordinate with the Department of Health and large laboratories so that when receiving such an acute hepatitis case of unknown cause, tests will be conducted to identify the agent and treat it. . Thus, the ability to test acceptance and treatment has not changed or been too complicated, but has been prepared.

You are reading the article Mysterious hepatitis: Is liver enzyme testing necessary for children?

at Blogtuan.info – Source: thanhnien.vn – Read the original article here

Back to top button