VIDEO: ‘Critical to test’ for HBV, latent TB coinfection to reduce liver injury
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In a Healio video exclusive, Harvey Kaufman, MD, senior medical director at Quest Diagnostics, highlighted the need for concurrent hepatitis B and latent tuberculosis testing to mitigate the risk for drug-induced liver injury.
“The next step is health care providers who have patients with either of these two conditions should test for the other, given this large overlap and due to the availability of therapies that will mitigate the risk to the liver,” Kaufman, co-author of a recent study that assessed the prevalence of HBV and latent TB coinfection, said. “There are some studies that have shown patients who are treated with coinfections have far worse outcomes: They're far more likely to be hospitalized and have other adverse outcomes — due to the treatment — that can occur late in the disease.
“So, it’s critical to go ahead and test — on World Hepatitis Day and every day thereafter.”
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