Date of Submission

Fall 10-11-2019

Document Type

Manuscript

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Jo Loomis

Second Advisor

Stefan Rowniak

Abstract

Abstract

Hepatitis B is a virus that mostly affects the liver, it could be asymptomatic and if left untreated or undetected, could lead to liver cancer, cirrhosis or even death. When Hepatitis B virus enters the body, it could be detected as early as 30 days post exposure and if it persists, may develop into a chronic condition. Chronic hepatitis B is the persistence of hepatitis B surface antigen for six months or more. It is a global health problem in which an estimated 2 billion people worldwide are infected and with about 2.2 million people infected in the United States. This manuscript discusses the importance of screening for chronic hepatitis B virus in eligible individuals so as to identify infected and/or susceptible individuals. It also discusses hepatitis B vaccination as the best way to prevent the virus, the geographic distribution of chronic hepatitis B virus, and the eligibility criteria for screening following the recommendations of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and United States Preventive Services Task Force USPSTF).

Keywords: hepatitis, chronic hepatitis b, hepatitis b screening, hepatitis b vaccination, and hepatitis b prevention.

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