Acute hepatitis is inflammation of the liver that lasts less than 6 months and can be identified through symptoms such as malaise, headache, fatigue, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Acute hepatitis can be caused by viruses, prolonged use of medications, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and changes in immunity, which starts suddenly, progresses benignly, and is cured after a few weeks or months. However, if it lasts longer than 6 months, it is considered chronic hepatitis.
In some cases, acute hepatitis can become serious and lead to death. Therefore, a hepatologist should be consulted whenever symptoms of acute hepatitis appear, so that the most appropriate treatment can be diagnosed and initiated, which varies according to its cause.
Symptoms of acute hepatitis
The main symptoms of acute hepatitis are:
- Tiredness or fatigue;
- Loss of appetite;
- Fever;
- Joint and muscle pain;
- General malaise;
- Headache;
- Nausea or vomiting.
After a few days of the onset of complaints, in some cases a yellow coloration may appear on the skin and eyes called jaundice, accompanied or not by itchy skin, dark urine and whitish stools.
Afterwards, a period of recovery is common, with signs and symptoms decreasing, often progressing to a cure for the disease. In some cases, the inflammatory process of hepatitis can last more than 6 months, turning into chronic hepatitis.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of acute hepatitis is made by a hepatologist or gastroenterologist through the evaluation of symptoms, health history, medication use and alcohol consumption.
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To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor must order tests capable of detecting lesions in the liver tissue or changes in the functioning of the liver and bile ducts, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma GT, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, albumin and coagulogram. See the main tests that evaluate the liver.
In addition, imaging tests may be requested to observe the appearance of the liver, such as ultrasound or tomography and, if the diagnosis is not clear, it may even be necessary to perform a liver biopsy.
Can acute hepatitis be serious?
Although it is not common, any acute hepatitis can become serious, especially when it is not detected early and when treatment is not started properly.
If hepatitis becomes severe, it can compromise the functioning of the liver and bile ducts, which increases the risk of bleeding, interferes with the production of proteins or the functioning of the immune system and can affect the functioning of other organs in the body.
Furthermore, during the acute phase of hepatitis, there may be acute liver failure, which must be diagnosed early as rapid therapeutic interventions, such as liver transplantation, may be necessary.
Causes of acute hepatitis
The main causes of acute hepatitis include:
- Infection with the hepatitis A, B, C, D or E virus;
- Viral infections, such as adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, parvovirus, Epstein-Barr, herpes, dengue, yellow fever or COVID-19;
- Alcoholism or use of drugs of abuse, such as cocaine or methamphetamine;
- Medicated hepatitis, such as high doses of paracetamol, other medications and herbs;
- Immune or inflammatory conditions, such as autoimmune hepatitis or bile duct obstruction and inflammation;
- Metabolic or hereditary changes, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver, hemochromatosis or Wilson’s disease;
- Pregnancy-related changes such as pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, HELLP syndrome or acute fatty liver of pregnancy;
- Ischemic or vascular conditions such as cardiogenic shock, heatstroke, or sinusoidal obstruction syndrome;
- Worsening of chronic hepatitis or cancer.
In addition, there is so-called transinfectious hepatitis, which is caused by infections that do not occur directly in the liver, but accompany serious generalized infections, such as septicemia.
Watch the following video, the conversation between nutritionist Tatiana Zanin and Dr. Drauzio Varella about how to prevent and treat some types of hepatitis:
How the treatment is carried out
The treatment of acute hepatitis is carried out by a hepatologist or gastroenterologist and varies according to its cause, and the doctor may recommend supportive treatment in the hospital, with intravenous serum and the use of medicines to relieve nausea or vomiting, for acute viral hepatitis. .
In all cases of acute hepatitis, rest, increased fluid consumption, suspension of alcohol consumption and a light, balanced and low-fat diet are recommended. See what the treatment for acute hepatitis should be like.
In the case where acute hepatitis is caused by medication, the doctor may also recommend discontinuing the medication responsible for the inflammation. However, if it was caused by the consumption of paracetamol, the use of N-acetylcysteine may be indicated. Learn how N-acetylcysteine is used for acetaminophen poisoning.
When can acute hepatitis become fulminant?
Acute fulminant hepatitis is also known as acute liver failure, and appears only in rare cases of hepatitis that progress very intensely and impair the body’s entire metabolism.
Acute fulminant hepatitis is one of the most serious liver diseases, which can lead to death in 70 to 90% of cases, with the risk increasing according to age.
The initial symptoms of fulminant hepatitis are the same as those of common hepatitis, in addition to the presence of dark urine, yellow eyes, sleep disturbances, an imprecise voice, mental confusion and slow thinking, with the risk of complications such as multiple organ failure. .
These complications can lead to death, and it is very important to seek medical help whenever symptoms indicating this disease appear.
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