Nanda Books

Nursing Care Plan for Hepatitis

Hepatitis is swelling and inflammation of the liver. It is not a condition, but is often used to refer to a viral infection of the liver. Characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ.

Hepatitis may start and get better quickly (acute hepatitis), or cause long-term disease (chronic hepatitis). In some instances, it may lead to liver damage, liver failure, or even liver cancer.

How severe hepatitis is depends on many factors, including the cause of the liver damage and any illnesses you have. Hepatitis A, for example, is usually short-term and does not lead to chronic liver problems.

The symptoms of hepatitis include:

•     Abdominal pain or distention
•     Breast development in males
•     Dark urine and pale or clay-colored stools
•     Fatigue
•     Fever, usually low-grade
•     General itching
•     Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
•     Loss of appetite
•     Nausea and vomiting
•     Weight loss

Many people with hepatitis B or C do not have symptoms when they are first infected. They can still develop liver failure later. If you have any risk factors for either type of hepatitis, you should be tested regularly.


Priority Nursing Diagnosis for Hepatitis

1. Imbalanced Nutrition, Less Than Body Requirements
relate to:
discomfort in the right upper quadrant
impaired absorption and digestion of food metabolism
input failure to meet the metabolic needs due to anorexia, nausea and vomiting.

2. Acute pain
related to:
swelling of the liver, the inflamed liver and portal vein dam.

3. Hyperthermia
related to:
invasion agent in blood circulation secondary to liver inflammation

4. Fatigue
related to:
chronic inflammatory process secondary to hepatitis

5. Risk for skin integrity and tissue damage
related to:
pruritus secondary to the accumulation of the pigment bilirubin in the bile salts

6. Risk for the transmission of infection
related to:
infectious nature of the virus agent