Clinical Manifestations, Laboratory Data, and Epidemiologic Characteristics of Children With Hepatitis A

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis A is the most common type of hepatitis in developing countries with a wide range of clinical features. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical findings and epidemiologic characteristics of children with hepatitis A in in the southwest part of Iran. Patients and Methods: A total of 105 patients with hepatitis A (53 males and 52 females) were enrolled in this study. The mean age of patients was 7.02 years (range, 4 months to 13 years). The majority of patients (81.9%) were in the age group of two to ten years. The disease occurred more frequently in summer and spring (71.5%). In a retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of all children with acute hepatitis A (positive anti-hepatitis A virus IgM) who had been admitted to the main children’s hospital in Ahvaz, southwest Iran from March 2005 to March 2010. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 21. Results: The main clinical findings included jaundice (80%), vomiting (75.2%), fever (62.8%), and hepatomegaly (37.1%). The mean of the paraclinical parameters were as follows: ALT, 22.38 μkat/L; AST, 19.40 μkat/L; and bilirubin, 179.60 μmol/L. Mean duration of hospital stay was 4.7 days. All patients cured with supportive therapy. There was not any case of fulminant hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, or death. Hepatitis A was a relatively common disease in children in Southwest Iran. Conclusions: The disease is more prevalent in children younger than ten years. The prognosis is excellent with low mortality and morbidity.