Global Journal of Digestive Diseases

Nursing perspectives of care and cure for viral hepatitis

Hepatitis is a widespread inflammation of the liver that results in degeneration and necrosis of liver cells. Inflammation of the liver can be due to bacterial invasion, injury by physical or toxic chemical agents (e.g., drugs, alcohol, industrial chemicals), viral infections (hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, G), or autoimmune response.  The 20th century unveiled the mystery of the etiology of viral hepatitis, with the identification of five different agents responsible for these infections: the hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus  (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D virus (HDV), and hepatitis E virus (HEV). A gradual increase in the statistics proved that Hepatitis is recently wide spread disease and may attack higher count of population. Viral Hepatitis creates a global health burden with significant morbidity and mortality from both acute infection and chronic complications. The condition can be self-limiting or can progress to liver fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer. It places a huge disease, social and economic burden on the affected individual, family, as well as the health system. Proper preventive measures can avoid the incurrence of disease. By disseminating the information and improving the awareness among community, Nurses may play a pivotal role in prevention of this silent epidemic. Nurses being patient’s advocate as well as health educator may play pivotal role in prevention of this silent epidemic. Not only in prevention, nurses are actively involved in the management of patients suffering from Viral Hepatitis. Nursing management for patients with hepatitis includes; reducing the demands of the liver while promoting physical well-being, preventing complications of hepatitis, enhance self-concept, acceptance of situation, and providing information about the disease process, prognosis, and treatment.

Author(s):

Tarika Sharma

Abstract | PDF

Share this