Hepatitis in Bangladesh: Pattern and treatment Options

Hepatitis is common disease in Bangladesh. As a country of the Asia Pacific region Bangladesh is considered to be a high risk country for developing hepatitis A and B. This study represents the pattern and types of treatment of hepatitis in two tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh; Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and Dhaka Medical Collage Hospital. 140 patients were selected among whom 80 were male and 60 female. The patients were asked to fill up a questioner. Prescriptions of all the patients were reviewed and the duty doctors were consulted for further clarification of the cases. From the data obtained over a 3 month long survey it was found that hepatitis A, B and C are most common in this country. Most of the patients develop classical sign and symptoms of hepatitis; most commonly jaundice and weight loss. About 50% hepatitis cases contributed a viral cause. 42.86% patients undergo preventive treatment whereas 57.14% patients are treated with drugs. Lamivudine, Adefovir and Ribavirin were the commonly used drugs in viral hepatitis. The prevalence of different forms of hepatitis in Bangladesh is high. Bangladesh is at the high risk region of hepatitis A and B. Routine immunizations and community education regarding the diseases are highly warranted here.