Clinical profile of hepatitis A virus infection in children in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is a frequent form of hepatitis primarily affects the liver and is commonly observed in children particularly in areas with limited access to clean water and sanitation. The disease is characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations including jaundice, fever, and abdominal pain. This study aims to evaluate the clinical, and biochemical of HAV infection in children in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at Bangladesh Shishu hospital and institute, Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 2023 to December 2023. The study aimed to investigate the clinical and biochemical spectrum of HAV infection in children at the department of paediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition. A total of 200 children with confirmed HAV infection were enrolled in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the clinical and biochemical characteristics of the study population. Results: Clinical features were dominated by jaundice and hepatomegaly (100%), followed by fever (98.5%), nausea (98%), anorexia (98%), and abdominal pain (92.5%). Cholestasis was the most common complication (9.5%), followed by acute liver failure (4.5%). Laboratory findings showed that 86.5% had total serum bilirubin levels ≤10 mg/dl, 67.5% had serum ALT levels between 500-1500 IU/L, and 4.5% had an INR >1.5. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the clinical and biochemical spectrum of HAV infection in children at a tertiary care hospital. The findings highlight the typical presentation of HAV in children, including symptoms such as jaundice, fever, vomiting, and abdominal pain, alongside elevated serum ALT and bilirubin levels. Despite the generally self-limiting nature of the disease, complications such as cholestasis and acute liver failure were observed, underlining the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate management and emphasize the necessity of including hepatitis A vaccination in routine immunization programme.