title: Fulminant viral hepatitis: Indian experience.
abstract: Thirty-six patients with fulminant viral hepatitis were studied. Enzyme immunoassay was used to detect the presence of HBsAg, IgM anti-HBc, and IgM anti-HAV. Non-A, non-B virus was the most common aetiological agent (61.1%) followed by hepatitis B virus (HBV; 30.6%) and hepatitis A virus (8.3%). Presence of IgM anti-HBc confirmed the diagnosis of HBV infection in three cases who were negative for HBsAg. Similarly, in one case who was positive for HBsAg, absence of IgM anti-HBc suggested superinfection with some other agent. Survival was significantly higher (P less than 0.01) in the hepatitis A virus (HAV) group (66.6%) compared with non-A, non-B (31.2%) and HBV groups (27.3%). Fever at the onset of illness was seen in all patients with HAV, 54.5% of patients with HBV and 38.88% of patients with non-A, non-B infection (P less than 0.01). The median time interval between the first symptom and the onset of encephalopathy was 16, 13 and 8 days in HAV, HBV and non-A, non-B groups, respectively, but this difference was statistically not significant (P greater than 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Raju
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Broor
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mehta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens