Clinical study of hepatitis in children with special reference to viral markers.

Infective hepatitis is a systemic viral infection marked by hepatic cell necrosis and hepatic inflammation which leads to a characteristic constellation of clinical, biochemical and histological changes. This exercise was done to study the epidemiology of infective hepatitis, presenting symptoms and signs, mode of transmission, complication and outcome and to study the role of various investigations with special focus on viral markers. We concluded that poor outcome related with viral hepatitis in children were HBsAg reactivity, higher SGPT and serum bilirubin levels, higher PT levels and development of encephalopathy. Anti HAV and anti HEV IgM markers are very sensitive test for diagnosing acute infection.