Female patient D.T.N. (56 years old, Hanoi) has suffered from chronic hepatitis B for many years. However, thanks to compliance with the treatment regimen and regular check-ups, the patient's hepatitis B virus condition has been effectively suppressed and controlled.
With the mentality of living peacefully with the disease, patient N. unexpectedly faced danger after listening to the herbalist's advice to apply the "fasting" method - using an unknown type of alkaline water for treatment.
The patient said that he had stopped taking antiviral drugs for 2 months and had not had regular health check-ups to monitor necessary test results.
The patient came to Medlatec General Hospital for examination because he felt tired, had loss of appetite, had yellow eyes and skin, and had dark urine.
Here, the patient was assigned to perform the necessary techniques to support the diagnosis. As predicted by the doctor, the test results showed that the liver enzyme test index (AST, ALT) exceeded the normal threshold by 100 times. The liver elastography image showed coarse liver parenchyma, liver stiffness equivalent to F4.
The patient was diagnosed with acute liver failure on the background of a hepatitis B outbreak. The patient was admitted to the hospital for inpatient treatment. To date, after 3 plasma filtrations, the patient's consciousness is slow, and if a liver transplant is not performed promptly, the patient is at high risk of death.
Dr. Tran Tien Tung - Internal Medicine Specialist, Medlatec General Hospital said: "The unfortunate case that happened to this patient is not rare. For many different reasons such as arbitrarily stopping medication, following the trend of treatment, ignoring regular check-ups... are factors that can cause hepatitis B virus to flare up strongly, seriously impairing liver function."
Patients who are not treated promptly and properly controlled can experience many dangerous complications such as cirrhosis, liver failure, even liver cancer and a very high risk of death.
There is currently no cure for chronic hepatitis, so to limit liver damage and prevent virus outbreaks, Dr. Tran Tien Tung recommends that patients follow the following principles:
First, do not stop antiviral medication on your own, or only stop treatment when directed by your doctor. At the same time, periodically check to assess the possibility of HBV reactivation after stopping medication;
Second, have regular health check-ups, especially liver function tests, as directed by your doctor;
Third, follow a scientific and reasonable diet and lifestyle: Do not drink alcohol; Do not eat too spicy, too salty, too fatty foods; Choose lean meat, low in fat; Increase green vegetables and fruits; Whole grains (barley, brown rice, whole wheat noodles).
Faced with the reality that the number of hepatitis B cases is increasing with alarming complication rates and mortality risks, experts emphasize the role of regular screening and monitoring to provide the following important roles: Assessing the level of virus infection; Monitoring disease progression; Adjusting treatment regimens; Evaluating treatment effectiveness; Predicting the risk of complications.
