multi class comparison
Hepatitis Types: A vs B vs C — Transmission, Chronicity, Prevention
Picking the wrong transmission precaution or telling a Hep A patient they need lifelong monitoring wastes resources and spikes anxiety. The NCLEX expects you to match each hepatitis type to its route, chronicity risk, and prevention strategy.
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Side-by-side3 compared
Focus
Comparevs
Dimension
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Transmission & risk
- ★Fecal-oral: food, water, shellfish
- Shortest incubation: ~4 wk avg
- Blood, sexual, perinatal
- Longest incubation: ~90 days avg
- Blood: IV drug use, pre-1992 transfusion
- Incubation ~6–7 wk avg
Chronicity & course
- ★Never becomes chronic
- Self-limiting acute illness
- Chronic in ~5–10% of adults
- Chronic in ~90% of infants
- ★Chronic in 75–85% (highest)
- Often silent until liver damage
Serology markers
- Acute: IgM anti-HAV
- Immunity: IgG anti-HAV
- Acute: HBsAg + IgM anti-HBc
- Immunity: anti-HBs ≥10 mIU/mL
- Anti-HCV, confirm with HCV RNA
- No immunity; reinfection possible
Isolation & precautions
- Contact if diapered/incontinent
- Strict hand hygiene after toileting
- Standard precautions
- Standard precautions
- Blood/body-fluid exposure protocol
- Standard precautions
- Blood/body-fluid exposure protocol
Treatment
- Acute: supportive care
- Acute: supportive care
- Chronic: entecavir or tenofovir
- Direct-acting antivirals (sofosbuvir)
- >95% cure rate with DAAs
Teaching & prevention
- Handwashing, safe food and water
- Vaccine: 2 doses from age 1
- Exposed: vaccine or IG within 2 wk
- No sharing razors or needles
- Condoms (sexual spread)
- Vaccine at birth (3-dose series)
- Exposed: HBIG + vaccine within 24 hr
- ★No vaccine; avoid blood exposure
- No sharing razors or needles
Red flags — escalate
- Acute liver failure rare
- Confusion, ↑INR = liver failure
- Highest acute liver failure risk
- Confusion, ↑INR = liver failure
- Acute liver failure rare
- Confusion, ↑INR = liver failure
Complications
- Full recovery, lifelong immunity
- Cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma
- HCC even without cirrhosis
- Cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma
Transmission & risk
Hepatitis A
- ★Fecal-oral: food, water, shellfish
- Shortest incubation: ~4 wk avg
Hepatitis B
- Blood, sexual, perinatal
- Longest incubation: ~90 days avg
Chronicity & course
Hepatitis A
- ★Never becomes chronic
- Self-limiting acute illness
Hepatitis B
- Chronic in ~5–10% of adults
- Chronic in ~90% of infants
Serology markers
Hepatitis A
- Acute: IgM anti-HAV
- Immunity: IgG anti-HAV
Hepatitis B
- Acute: HBsAg + IgM anti-HBc
- Immunity: anti-HBs ≥10 mIU/mL
Isolation & precautions
Hepatitis A
- Contact if diapered/incontinent
- Strict hand hygiene after toileting
- Standard precautions
Hepatitis B
- Standard precautions
- Blood/body-fluid exposure protocol
Treatment
Hepatitis A
- Acute: supportive care
Hepatitis B
- Acute: supportive care
- Chronic: entecavir or tenofovir
Teaching & prevention
Hepatitis A
- Handwashing, safe food and water
- Vaccine: 2 doses from age 1
- Exposed: vaccine or IG within 2 wk
Hepatitis B
- No sharing razors or needles
- Condoms (sexual spread)
- Vaccine at birth (3-dose series)
- Exposed: HBIG + vaccine within 24 hr
Red flags — escalate
Hepatitis A
- Acute liver failure rare
- Confusion, ↑INR = liver failure
Hepatitis B
- Highest acute liver failure risk
- Confusion, ↑INR = liver failure
Complications
Hepatitis A
- Full recovery, lifelong immunity
Hepatitis B
- Cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma
- HCC even without cirrhosis
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Clinical Pearl
A = Ass (fecal-oral, never chronic). B = Blood + Baby + vaccine. C = Chronic + Curable, no vaccine.
Component Topics
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Go further
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