At the Department of Hepatitis - Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, many patients are facing serious complications due to arbitrarily stopping antviral drugs to treat hepatitis B, especially in the context of simultaneous treatment of immunodeficiency diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis, diabetes, old age or potential cirrhosis.
The case of patient N.V.H (78 years old, from Hai Duong) who has been treated for hepatitis B since 2018, but recently due to fatigue and having to take long-term bone and joint treatment, the patient arbitrarily stopped taking antiseptic drugs because he thought he " Taking too much medicine". Upon admission, the patient's liver enzyme index increased by more than 700 U/L (normal level below 40), bilirubin exceeded 100 μmol/L (normal below 17.7) and AFP index - a warning sign of liver cancer - increased 10 times. The test results showed that the patient had stage F4 cirrhosis, accompanied by type 2 diabetes, which further aggravated the risk of liver damage. The patient is being treated with insulin instead of oral drugs to reduce liver toxicity, while restarting the viral anti- resistance regimen and treating active liver function support.
Another case is patient N.D.M (44 years old, Thai Nguyen), who was being treated for lung cancer at the provincial level, who arbitrarily stopped taking hepatitis B drugs because he believed that taking tuberculosis medicine did not require liver medicine. After 4 months, the patient was admitted to the hospital in critical condition: jaundice, bloating, blood clotting index reduced below 30%, bilirubin up to 700 μmol/L, liver enzymes over 400 U/L, severe abdominal fluid and cirrhosis. The patient was diagnosed with acute liver failure on the basis of chronic hepatitis B that broke out.
MSc. Dr. Dong Vu Kien - Department of Hepatitis emphasized: Treatment of liver waste treatment, so people with hepatitis B need to maintain viral antibodies to protect the liver. No doctor recommends stopping liver medication for the treatment of tuberculosis. This is an extremely dangerous misunderstanding.
According to Dr. Kien, arbitrarily stopping antviruses is the leading cause of outbreak acute hepatitis, progressive liver failure, cirrhosis and even death, especially in people with underlying diseases of immunodeficiency.
He recommended: All patients are being treated for chronic diseases, especially cancer, tuberculosis, autoimmune diseases, and need to be fully screened for hepatitis B and C. If viral hepatitis is detected, it is necessary to treat it in parallel and monitor liver function periodically. Absolutely do not arbitrarily stop or change drugs without a specialized prescription, to avoid irreversible consequences.
