G N Tayyab, N Arfeen, U Ahmad, A Hafeez.
Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B in Patients Suffering from Hepatitis in Lahore, Pakistan
Pak J Gastroenterol Jan 1999;13(1-2):0-.
Department of Medicine, Allama iqbal Medical College, Lahore

Recently there has been an unmatched scare about the epidemic notion of the hepatitis B virus infection. We have collected the data of 2285 patients presenting to the laboratory over a period of 10 months (Year 1997-98) with a request for liver function tests having provisional diagnosis of hepatitis. Serological testing for hepatitis B virus was done in all the patients found to have abnormal liver function tests. Patients were referred to the laboratory by medical specialists, general practitioners, hospital doctors, and self referral. Out of 2285 patients advised for liver function tests for a provisional diagnosis of hepatitis, 960 patients (42.01%) had an abnormality in ALT (ALT level above 41 iu/1), while 98 patients (10.20%) were seropositive for HbsAg ranged from 5 out of 99 patients (5.05%) to 10 out of 65 patients (15.38%). Patients showing altered liver function tests had a range of 93 out of 407 patients (22.85%) to 89 out of 174 patients (51.14%). Monthly analysis of this heterogeneous population data showing a wide scatter fails to show any seasonal pattern or explanation and is strongly against the epidemic notion of Hepatitis B in this city.

Category: Community Medicine
Keywords: Hepatitis B. HBsAg. Hepatitis. ALT.

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