Viral hepatitis is not a sufficient priority in the United States killing more than 20,000 people every year. I currently work as a Public Health nurse and have observed that hepatitis is a disease that is spoken of rarely but is a growing public health problem. There are outreach events for awareness of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and sexually transmitted diseases but hepatitis has in a sense fallen between the cracks. In this paper, I intend to discuss the etiology and pathophysiology of hepatitis along with how prevention and awareness can make the difference in an individual’s life. Prevention and awareness are the first steps to eliminate this public health problem.
Research Overview
The three most prevalent strains of hepatitis include: …show more content…
IV drug users are at risk from needle sharing and healthcare workers are at risk due to patients being unaware of their disease status. There are new medications available to treat this strain but treatment can be difficult. According to the CDC (2016), there are about 29,700 new infections each year with an estimated 3.2 million people chronically infected. Vaccinations are not available for this strain, but people are encouraged to get the hepatitis A and B vaccines to help protect their liver from further damage. Since treatment for hepatitis C have advanced in recent years, it has been questioned if a vaccine is even necessary (Liang, 2013). I believe it would be less costly to vaccinate people rather than treating them with expensive medications. Raising public awareness by providing outreach can provide opportunities to get tested and referred for treatment if needed (Perrett & Hams, …show more content…
Prevention includes educating people on the disease process, how it is transmitted, and what they can do to help themselves. Liang (2013) stated that “vaccinations used to prevent infections have been the most effective method to control infection of public health importance. The first national Hepatitis testing day was implemented in 2012 to bring awareness to communities all over the country and is still being implemented (Benjamin, 2012). Screening people to assess risk factors and then testing them for Hepatitis is an excellent starting point since it doesn’t take much time at all. There are rapid hepatitis C tests available that take twenty minutes to process that require a drop of blood. Hepatitis B testing requires a venous blood draw and can take a few days to get results. Once a person knows there disease status, they may be more cautious in spreading disease. Barriers to prevention of hepatitis B include not being vaccinated as an adult. Children are required to be vaccinated in order to go to school but most parents were not vaccinated when they were a child. Adults do not realize that they need the vaccines if they are not offered to them and explained why they should have them. Some adults cannot afford doctor visits, testing or vaccinations so choose not to go to the
Research Overview
The three most prevalent strains of hepatitis include: …show more content…
IV drug users are at risk from needle sharing and healthcare workers are at risk due to patients being unaware of their disease status. There are new medications available to treat this strain but treatment can be difficult. According to the CDC (2016), there are about 29,700 new infections each year with an estimated 3.2 million people chronically infected. Vaccinations are not available for this strain, but people are encouraged to get the hepatitis A and B vaccines to help protect their liver from further damage. Since treatment for hepatitis C have advanced in recent years, it has been questioned if a vaccine is even necessary (Liang, 2013). I believe it would be less costly to vaccinate people rather than treating them with expensive medications. Raising public awareness by providing outreach can provide opportunities to get tested and referred for treatment if needed (Perrett & Hams, …show more content…
Prevention includes educating people on the disease process, how it is transmitted, and what they can do to help themselves. Liang (2013) stated that “vaccinations used to prevent infections have been the most effective method to control infection of public health importance. The first national Hepatitis testing day was implemented in 2012 to bring awareness to communities all over the country and is still being implemented (Benjamin, 2012). Screening people to assess risk factors and then testing them for Hepatitis is an excellent starting point since it doesn’t take much time at all. There are rapid hepatitis C tests available that take twenty minutes to process that require a drop of blood. Hepatitis B testing requires a venous blood draw and can take a few days to get results. Once a person knows there disease status, they may be more cautious in spreading disease. Barriers to prevention of hepatitis B include not being vaccinated as an adult. Children are required to be vaccinated in order to go to school but most parents were not vaccinated when they were a child. Adults do not realize that they need the vaccines if they are not offered to them and explained why they should have them. Some adults cannot afford doctor visits, testing or vaccinations so choose not to go to the