...Epidemiology Hepatitis B affects 1 in 3 people worldwide (Hepatitis B Foundation [HBF], 2014). A vaccine has been available for over 30 years, yet it is the ninth leading cause of death worldwide (HBF, 2014). The epidemiology of hepatitis B, the role of the community health nurse along with the knowledge about what is being done to combat and reduce the impact of the virus gives a comprehensive look at hepatitis B. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a DNA virus, and belongs to the Hepadnaviridae family of viruses (World Health Organization [WHO], 2014). The virus interferes with liver function and liver damage is caused from the inflammation from the body’s immune response. Jaundice is the classic symptom of liver disease. For correct diagnosis, a Hepatitis B blood panel is needed. Symptoms of the disease may include fever, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, joint pain, weakness, fatigue, dark urine, abdominal pain and jaundice. These symptoms can range in severity, with onset from one to four months after hepatitis B exposure (Mayo Clinic, 2014). Some patients do not experience symptoms; these patients have the potential to become chronic carriers and a source of transmission to others without being aware of it (WHO, 2014). Hepatitis B is transmitted from direct contact with infected blood, body fluids, and sexual intercourse. A break in the skin barrier must be present for blood to infect a person. Sharing of an infected needle is another source of infection....
Words: 753 - Pages: 4
...Hepatitis B Virus: Epidemiological and Social Implications Amy Berry Grand Canyon University Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS-427V Sandra White August 21, 2015 Hepatitis B Virus: Epidemiological and Social Implications The Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is an infection that attacks the liver and is categorized as both acute and chronic. The geographic prevalence between five and ten percent is predominantly in African and East Asian countries and only a one percent occurrence in the United States. The global incidence of HBV is approximately two billion people worldwide and of those, 350 million have chronic liver dysfunctionality resulting in an increased mortality risk related to cirrhosis and hepatic neoplasms ("The World Health Organization," 2015). According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in 2013, acute cases of HBV totaled 3,050 and 31,763 chronic cases were reported in the United States and a it is estimated that a total of 140,000 patients are infected every year that are not reported or unknown, and of those, an upwards of 1,000 people will die of chronic liver disease resulting from HBV ("CDC," 2013). The introduction of the HBV vaccine in 1982 and the inoculation of infants has dramatically lowered the frequency of infection, however, certain subgroups such as hemodialysis patients, health care professionals, intravenous (IV) drug users, organ transplantation recipients and homosexual males are at higher risk and should be periodically tested...
Words: 1388 - Pages: 6
...Running head: EPIDEMIOLOGY PAPER - HEPATITIS B 1 Epidemiology Paper - Hepatitis B Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS-427V-0102 EPIDEMIOLOGY PAPER - HEPATITIS B Epidemiology Paper - Hepatitis B 2 ―Communicable disease‖ means an illness caused by an infectious agent or its toxins that occurs through the direct or indirect transmission of the infectious agent or its products from an infected individual or via an animal, vector or the inanimate environment to a susceptible animal or human host‖ ("CDC," 2010, p. 1). Hepatitis B is one of the communicable diseases which are a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). CAUSES ―Exposure may occur: After a needle stick or sharps injury - Hepatitis B is a concern for health care workers and anyone else who comes in contact with human blood If any blood or other body fluid touches your skin, eyes or mouth People who may be at risk of hepatitis B are those who: Unprotected sex with an infected partner – one may become infected having unprotected sexual contact with an infected partner whose blood, saliva, semen or vaginal secretions enter your body. Receive blood transfusions (not common in the United States) Have contact with blood at work (such as health care workers) Have been on long-term kidney dialysis Get a tattoo or acupuncture with unclean needles Share needles during drug use - HBV is easily transmitted through needles and syringes contaminated...
Words: 3278 - Pages: 14
...Hepatitis B: An Epidemic The World Health Organization defines epidemiology as “the study of the distribution and determinants of health- related states or events, and the application of the study to the control of diseases and other health problems” (CDC, 2014). Determinates of health are “the circumstances in which people are born, live, work and age as well as the systems put in place to deal with illness”. The communicable disease chain is a model beneficial to integrating the many concepts of communicable diseases (Maurer & Smith, 2009). A nurse has a significant role in preventing and controlling infectious disease. A vital factor in preparing for clinical nursing practice is having an understanding of the infection process and techniques on how to prevent it. This paper focuses on a prevalent communicable disease, Hepatitis B. This writer will give a description of the disease, the demographic affected by the disease, what determinates contribute to the development of Hepatitis B, she will discuss the epidemiology triangle of the disease, explain the role of the community health nurse in this community, and explain various agencies and resources patients diagnosed with this disease can access. Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. Two types exist: the acute illness and the chronic illness. In the acute illness, the immune system is able to rid the body of the virus and a complete recovery may occur in a few months. Chronic hepatitis...
Words: 1580 - Pages: 7
...Benchmark Assignment: Epidemiology Paper Grand Canyon University Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS-427V-0501 Benchmark Assignment: Epidemiology Paper Hepatitis B The definition for Hepatitis changes with whom you ask. To some it means a horrible painful way to die while others are able to look at it as a disease. The word Hepatitis means liver inflamation. The liver is a large, glandular, reddish-brown organ located in the upper right side of the abdomen. It consists of 5 lobes and secretes bile into the gallbladder and into the small intestine and aids in the digestion of lipids. Hepatitis is often caused by a virus. Hepatitis A, B, and C are the most common types in the United States but there is also a type D, E, and there was thought to be an F but after a thorough investigation they failed to prove its existence. Hepatitis B (HBV) is a liver disease that is contagious. It is believed that approximately 1.2 to 1.4 million people in the United States have chronic Hepatitis many of which are not officially diagnosed. There are two stages or categories of Hepatitis B, chronic and acute. Chronic Hepatitis B is anyone who has had the virus for longer than 6 months ("Hepatitis B," 2010) and at this point it is considered a lifelong illness. The beginning or acute phase of Hepatitis B is the first 6 months of being exposed to the virus. During this first 6 months some people are able to fight the infection off and get rid of it. Symptoms may...
Words: 1444 - Pages: 6
...Epidemiology Paper Grand Canyon University Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS 427V Colleen Darrow RN June 28, 2014 Epidemiology Paper “World wide, two billion people have been infected with hepatitis B Virus” (Shepard & Simard, 2006, p. 112) Hepatitis B virus cause liver tissue infections which is life threatening potentially. And both acute and chronic hepatitis B has a profound impact on global health. “More than 240 million people have chronic liver infections, and more than 780,000 people die every year due to the acute or chronic consequences of hepatitis B.”("WHO Media Center," 2014) The HBV is transmitted from an infected carrier to the others via contact with blood and other body fluid. Hepatitis B is also a major occupational hazard for health workers. Fortunately the infection can be effectively prevented by safe vaccine. Since 1982, safe Hepatitis B vaccine has been available; the effectiveness of preventing the infection and its long-term consequences has been established. Hepatitis B vaccine is the first vaccine which against a major human cancer. “HBV infection may result in subclinical or asymptomatic infection, acute self-limited hepatitis, or fulminant hepatitis requiring liver transplant.” (Shepard & Simard, 2006, p. 113) The average incubation period is 90 days for a newly infected person who may develop acute hepatitis. The common signs and symptoms for acute hepatitis...
Words: 1309 - Pages: 6
...Benchmark Assignment: The Epidemiology of Hepatitis B Andrea Elena Medina Grand Canyon University: NRS-427V Concepts in Community and Public Health Thursday, December 08, 2015 Benchmark Assignment: The Epidemiology of Hepatitis B A major global health issue impacting the international health community is Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is viral condition that injures the liver due to the attempt to eliminate the virus, leading to progressive liver disease and cirrhosis (Hepatitis B (HBV, Hep B), 2014). The incidence of cirrhosis developing in people with chronic HBV is 8-20% (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2013; European Association for the Study of the Liver, 2012); the annual incidence of HBV-related liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, is 2-5% of people with cirrhosis (EASL, 2012). A person infected with Hepatitis B can transmit the virus to another person who hasn’t been affected by Hepatitis B in several ways. People can become infected with the virus when they come into contact with contaminated blood, semen and when other body fluids mix with the uninfected person’s body fluids. Examples of transmission occur from sexual contact, blood transfusion before the year 1992, sharing of needles or syringes, and from mother to baby at birth. Hepatitis B can be an acute, or short-term, illness for some people but for others, it can often lead to a lifelong chronic infection. The risk for chronic infection is related to a person’s age at the time of infection:...
Words: 1759 - Pages: 8
...Communicable Disease- Hepatitis B Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a partially double-stranded DNA virus that is highly prevalent worldwide. Probably 300 million persons, or 5% of the world population, have chronic HBV infection. (Copstead-Kirkhorn & L.B, 2013, p. 768) It can lead to liver disease and can infect the person they come in contact with the bodily fluids of the infected person. 5 to 10% of the population is chronically infected in sub Saharan desert and east Asia. Due to complications risen from Hepatitis B more than 780000 die every year. ("World health organization," 2015). Hepatitis B can be transmitted through various modes of transmissions. It can be transferred through sexual contact when non infected person comes in contact with semen, vaginal secretions or blood of the infected person. It is of very high occurrence in drug users as they share needles and syringes contaminated with infected blood and do not think about how risky this behavior can be towards their health. Mothers can also pass this virus to their babies at childbirth but the newborns can be vaccinated to avoid getting infected in almost all cases. There are many symptoms of this disease like mild or severe abdominal pain, itching, fever, dark colored urine, high fever, nausea, feeling weak and tired, vomiting, skin turns yellow, fluid in abdomen and web of swollen blood vessels in the skin. Hepatitis B can cause many complications that can sometime lead to death too. Most common is the cirrhosis...
Words: 1283 - Pages: 6
...Abstract Hepatitis A is a serious disease. It can be found in the liver. This disease was discovered by Steven M. Feinstone in 1973. The Hepatitis A virus is a small non-enveloped single-stranded RNA virus. This disease normally causes inflation in the liver. Histologic regression of both necroinflammation and fibrosis has been demonstrated in paired liver biopsy samples in SVR-achieving patients. The first description of hepatitis A is generally attributed to Hippocrates and outbreaks of hepatitis A has been recognized for centuries,affecting both military and civilian populations.Major geographical differences in endemicity of hepatitis A are closely related to hygienic and sanitary conditions and other indicators of the level of socioeconomic...
Words: 1576 - Pages: 7
...chronic hepatitis B: an experience on individual solution- focused therapy Jinous Arvand1, Abdollah Shafiabadi2, Mohammad Reza Falsafinejad3, Nosratollah Naderi4 1 Faculty of Human Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran 2 Faculty of Human Sciences, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran 3 Faculty of Human Sciences, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran 4 Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ABSTRACT Hepatitis B, as a chronic disorder that may be associated with several psychiatric disorders, such as depression, and decrease quality of life of affected patients. One of the most important consequences of psychiatric problems is reduced patient compliance with prolonged therapeutic regimens. Psychotherapy, such as solution– focused therapy, may help these patients to resolve psychiatric problems, increase quality of life and completion of therapeutic regimens. Solutionfocused therapy is effective for patients when developing effective coping responses to the stressors associated with chronic diseases. In this study, the process and effects of solution-focused therapy on depression of 2 patients with chronic hepatitis B have been described. They received solution focused therapy for 5 sessions, each session 1 hour once a week. This technique was helpful to decrease symptoms and signs of depression within 5 weeks. Keywords: Hepatitis B, psychiatric...
Words: 1737 - Pages: 7
...Hepatitis B: A Global Health Crisis Gina Duron Grand Canyon University: NRS 427V November 15, 2015 Hepatitis B: A Global Health Crisis Approximately one-third of the world’s population have been infected with the hepatitis b virus (HBV) and 240 million people are infected with chronic hepatitis b infection worldwide. This communicable disease is a potentially life threatening liver infection. It has become a global health problem that affects all areas of the world. Many organizations, health care providers, and governments around the world are working together to address the health concerns that affect different parts of the world. By understanding the health determinants that affect hepatitis b and researching the epidemiologic triangle of hepatitis b, policies and plans can be developed to guide the community health nurse in her role in reducing the morbidity and mortality of this communicable disease. What is Hepatitis B? Hepatitis b is a viral infection that can manifest as acute or chronic. Approximately ninety percent of adults with a normal immune status can recover completely from a newly acquired hepatitis b infection. Infants, young children, immunocompromised persons infected with hepatitis b are more at risk for developing the chronic form of disease which can lead to life threatening liver disease and liver cancer. Symptoms of HBV include jaundice of skin and sclera, abdominal pain, fever, joint pain, weakness and nausea and vomiting. This communicable...
Words: 1295 - Pages: 6
...Epidemiology: Hepatitis B T Ob Grand Canyon University: NRS-427v January 19th, 2014 There are a large number of scientific discoveries that have come about serendipitously. Dr. Baruch Blumberg may say that this was the case when he discovered the Hepatitis B Virus. Dr. Blumberg and his colleagues discovered the Hepatitis B virus in 1967, developed the blood test that is used to diagnose the virus and in 1969, invented the first Hepatitis B vaccine. In 1976, Dr. Blumberg was honored with the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery (HepB Foundation, 2013) Hepatitis B is caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). A blood test called Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is used to find the presence of the virus in the blood. When serum comes back with a positive HBsAg result it is indicative of active HBV infection that can be passed on to others (Mast & Weinbaum, 2009). Determining immunity to HBV can be done by the Hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) blood test. Having antibodies can mean prior HBV infection from which the person has recovered or that the person has received the vaccine. A positive anti-HBs test also means that the person is protected by the vaccine or their natural immunity and cannot become infected or infect others. Determining whether a person has had or currently has an active HBV infection can be done by the Hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) blood test. A positive anti-HBc test indicates the person can have a chronic infection and is also infectious...
Words: 1808 - Pages: 8
...Hepatitis Cinthia Yee Grand Canyon University Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS-427V LaStassia Williams October 22, 2015 Hepatitis Hepatitits B is an infection of the liver, it’s caused by the hepatitis B virus also known as (HBV). This virus can be transmitted from person to person via blood, semen and other body fluids. Some common ways that (HBV) is transmitted is by sexual contact, having unprotected sex or being in contact with any bodily fluids from an infected person. Sharing needles such as getting a tattoo with equipment that wasn’t sterilized correctly and or accidental needle sticks are other forms of transmission of (HBV), people that share IV drugs are at higher risk for hepatitis B as well. Healthcare workers are at higher risk for transmission of this disease, due to the exposure they have to blood and bodily fluids, that’s why it’s so important to use precautions when dealing with these and making sure that any accidental needle stick gets reported immediately in order to take the necessary steps for treatment if needed. Another way Hepatitis B can be transmitted is by mother to child, pregnant women can transmit the infection during childbirth and although these babies get vaccinated for Heptatitis B after birth to avoid getting infected special precautions must be taken from the expecting mother and getting tested for hepatitis B during pregnancy is recommended. Hepatittis B can be acute and chronic, acute infections can last for a short...
Words: 1292 - Pages: 6
...Hepatitis A 1. The infectious disease known as Hepatitis is caused by the infectious agent or pathogen identified as the Hepatitis A virus. There are currently seven known forms of Hepatitis, such as Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and so on. Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C are the most common with the highest rate of people contracted with the infectious disease. Viral Hepatitis is an international main contributor to liver disease and accounts for high illness and death. In the United States Hepatitis A, HAV for short has reached a massive decline of occurrences since vaccinations became available. The decrease in incidences has nearly hit ninety percent. Though, there are still over twenty five thousand people infected in the United States each year with Hepatitis A. 2. The infectious agent Hepatitis A is transmitted through food and water which is contaminated with human feces. There are people who are at greater risk than others in contracting Hepatitis A, such as those who may handle contaminated food. Hepatitis A can also spread in daycare centers. Children and especially babies still in diapers may get feces on their hands, handle toys or other objects that they may put in their mouths. The daycare staff also puts themselves and the children at higher risk if they are not diligent in washing their own hands after changing a diaper or helping a child use the restroom. There are international regions where Hepatitis A is prevalent, with that said those...
Words: 718 - Pages: 3
...Your Liver and Hepatitis. The Liver Facts . One out of every 10 Americans is affected by liver disease. Liver disease is one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States. There are more than100 liver diseases. The good news is we can help prevent the liver diseases and keep it healthy. Overview of the liver. The liver is the second largest organ in the body and is located under the cage on the right side. It weighs about three pounds and is shaped like a football that is flat on one side. The liver performs many functions in the body. It processes what you eat and drink into energy and nutrients that your body can use. The liver also removes harmful substances from your blood. Functions of the liver include: • Filters your blood • Makes proteins, including blood-clotting factors (needed to help you heal) • Stores vitamins, sugars, fats, and other nutrients • Helps regulate hormones • Releases chemicals and nutrients into the body when needed • Makes bile needed for digesting fats Liver damage can lead to swollen, shrunken, hard, or scarred liver tissue. Such livers do not work well, and the person can get very sick, or even die, if the liver stops working altogether. Symptoms of liver disease Acute (When symptoms occur suddenly it is categorized as acute process) Tiredness or weakness Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin) Fever Nausea and vomiting Dark urine or very pale colored...
Words: 1588 - Pages: 7
