Investigation of clinical and etiological data of patients with acut hepatitis

Objective: Acute hepatitis is characterized by acute inflammation in the liver parenchyma or an increase in liver function tests due to various causes such as viral infections, toxic substances, alcohol consumption, autoimmune factors, and ischemia of the liver. Although it often presents with asymptomatic or mild symptoms, it can lead to more serious conditions such as acute liver failure and death. In this study, we aimed to collect data on the etiological factors, laboratory values, and the effects of administered treatments on mortality to understand the clinical course. Materials and methods: This study is a single-center, retrospective clinical study. It included 370 patients diagnosed with acute hepatitis between January 2012 and June 2022. Data regarding patients' age, gender, etiology, laboratory values, whether liver biopsy was performed or not, type of follow-up (outpatient, hospitalized), development of acute liver failure, chronicity of the disease, treatments administered to patients (plasmapheresis, liver transplantation), and final status of patients (survival, exitus) were collected. Results: The study was concluded with 370 patients. The increase in the average age of patients was found to be significant for mortality (p < 0.001). Mortality rates were significantly higher in patients with ischemic hepatitis etiology and those developing fulminant hepatitis. Elevated laboratory values of AST, LDH, and INR were found to be significant for mortality, and these parameters were observed to be good predictors of mortality based on calculated cut-off values. Conclusion: Our study revealed significant associations between age at diagnosis, etiology, and certain laboratory values with mortality. Acute hepatitis poses a significant health issue in our country and worldwide. Early diagnosis and management of acute hepatitis patients can lead to a reduction in morbidity and mortality. Multi-center studies with a large number of patients are necessary for more meaningful results and contributions to the literature. Keywords: Acute hepatitis, Acute liver failure