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• Reflections from Hep B Free Phildelphia's HBV Screening Event - CHOP site

  Last week ended with an exciting city-wide hepatitis B screening event in downtown Philadelphia.  This event was sponsored by the Hepatitis B Foundation and Hep B Free Philly as part of the Hep B Free Philadelphia campaign. Hospitals included Hahnemann University Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and Albert Einstein Medical Center.  Naturally each site was a little different and had their unique challenges. Throughout the four sights there were Hepatitis B Foundation and Hep B Free Philly volunteers, and 100 college-student volunteers. Student volunteers were a mix of pre-med and medical students, public health students, tutors in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Spanish and French, and students interested in doing community out-reach. Twenty community –based organizations were also involved in order to reach out to high risk communities throughout the city of Philadelphia.  During this event, 200 at-risk participants were screened for hepatitis B. Those participants that do not have HBV will be invited to receive their free HBV vaccine.  This info will arrive in the mail with their test results.  Those with HBV will be provided with a linkage to care. I thoroughly enjoyed my participation at the CHOP location. Although I was not involved in the planning and set-up process, it was clear that the logistics involved in making this multi-screening event come to fruition was extensive.  Testing sites needed to be secured. Community out-reach needed to be done long in advance in order to reach out to high risk communities. Supplies were purchased and carted (via a red-wagon at the CHOP site!) to the various sites. Phlebotomists were hired for the day. Student volunteers were organized. At CHOP, our French translators were essential in making the screening event work.  It was great to see the students take an active part in the event. Some went off campus and distributed flyers. Others manned the give-away desk.  A

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/reflections-from-hep-b-free-phildelphias-hbv-screening-event-chop-site/
• Living With HBV and Drinking Coffee

  The pros and cons of drinking coffee have been wildly debated for years.  However, for those with Hepatitis B and other liver diseases, the addition of a couple of cups of coffee per day to slow down the progression of liver disease, along with decreasing the risk of diabetes and heart disease just makes sense. Dr. Melissa Palmer was a guest speaker at a previous Hepatitis B Foundation patient conference. The information from her presentation had all sorts of nutritional nuggets for those with HBV (Check out Dr. Palmer on podcast if you would like to have a listen!) She stated, based on studies, that coffee and caffeine intake has been associated with improvements in liver ALT and AST levels.  There also seems to be a correlation between increased coffee consumption and warding off cirrhosis and HCC. Just recently there are was an article that discussed the benefits of coffee for those patients with HCV, undergoing treatment with pegylated interferon (PEG) and ribavirin therapy.  It claimed that drinking three or more cups of coffee a day not only reduced some of the difficult side-effects associated with treatment of PEG, but it also increased the treatment success.  However, like so many of these coffee studies, it was a small study and had to be adjusted for other factors. We all know that HBV and HCV are very different viral infections, but you have to wonder if any of the benefits of coffee that is seen in those being treated for HCV can be extrapolated to include those with HBV being treated with Pegylated interferon or antivirals.  Dr. Palmer did mention that coffee did seem to have a greater impact on those with hepatitis C, although I have no idea why. Regardless, if you’re living with HBV, you have to think about the pros and cons of adding coffee to your daily list.  Since all studies seem to show an increased number of cups of coffee having a more positive impact on preventing liver disease progression, or warding off cirrhosis or potentially

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/living-with-hbv-and-drinking-coffee/
• Infection Prevention is Everyone's Business...That means YOU!

  … are tired and stressed, and they make occasional errors. It may not be right, but mistakes do happen. This is where the above sign comes into play.  Infection protection is everyone's business.  That includes YOU!  Speak up.  Let your voice be heard.  You see the signs in your doctor's office "Ask me if I've washed my hands".  Why not start there, and ask? Had I read the article, or thought about my endoscopy/colonoscopy, I would have asked about the equipment used for my procedure.  Shame on ME. I'm not going to get a bloodborne pathogen like hepatitis B from shaking my doctor's hand, as HBV is not transmitted casually, but procedures where trace amounts of blood may not be properly disinfected or devices disposed is a different story.  HBV is transmitted by direct contact from an infected person's blood or body fluid to an open cut, mucous membrane or portal of entry of another person. A health care setting with blood, sharps, tubes and medical devices is an effective transmission route if there are infected body fluids.  Fortunately practices firmly put into place prevent nearly all such possible exposures. Regardless, these uncommon errors, could affect parents in nursing home environments, veterans in VA hospitals, patients getting colonoscopies, and all kinds of patients in various health care clinics and settings. Infection control practices are written, taught and implemented, but every once in a while, you’re going to get someone that neglects to follow the rules or makes a simple mistake.  This should not cause a panic among patients, but it is a reminder that mistakes happen, and sometimes it’s necessary for us to speak up and ask questions. Remember, infection prevention is everyone's business. Note: Please keep in mind that HBV is 100 times more infectious than HIV.  It is also more infectious than HCV.  There are no vaccines for HIV and HCV, but there is a safe, effective vaccine for HBV. Get vaccinated and be HBV free for life.

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/infection-prevention-is-everyones-business-that-means-you/
• Hepatitis B, Hurricane Irene and Other Natural Disasters

  Hurricane Irene is currently slamming the eastern seaboard.  I wrote this blog in anticipation of losing power.  It was a tough week. First, the east coast "earthquake of the century", and now Hurricane Irene and related flooding. Last spring, during an incredible deluge of flooding, a tweep (an HBF friend on twitter) was concerned about the increased risk of HBV infection due to flooding.  She asked that I warn flood victims about this potential hepatitis risk. The risk of hepatitis B is unlikely even with the threat of hurricanes and heavy flooding.  Once again the confusion between hepatitis A and hepatitis B seems to be the issue.  It’s important to know the ABCs of viral hepatitis. Hepatitis A is spread as a result of contaminated food and water, which could readily occur during severe flooding or a natural disaster when clean sources of water may be  hard to come by.  Overcrowding, contaminated water, and compromised sanitation all increase the risk of hepatitis A transmission. This is unlikely with HBV since it is transmitted through blood or body fluid contact of an infected person to an open wound, mucous membrane or orifice of another person.  Perhaps over a long period of time with a catastrophe of historic proportions, the odds of transmission would be increased, but in most cases it is extremely unlikely.  Some of this would also be dependent on the conditions prior to the disaster, and the projected length of time in overcrowded conditions, without adequate sanitation and clean water sources.  The worse the conditions, perhaps a country already struggling, or lacking the infrastructure to provide clean water, or adequate sanitation,  the higher the likelihood. The emergency response time and actions might also contribute. Once again this would vary with the country or area, and the infrastructure in place prior to the disaster. Getting vaccinated against hepatitis A and B is kind of like a mini insurance policy, or pulling together an

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/hurricane-irene-and-hepatitis-b/
• Got Hepatitis B? Share Your Favorite Liver Specialist with the HBV Community

  Do you have a favorite liver specialist that you’d like to share with the Hepatitis B Foundation and friends living with HBV?  Friends with HBV live all over the globe, and we are interested in liver specialists with Hepatitis B treating experience from all over.  Pediatric patients are a special sub-population with special treating needs, too.  We’d love to hear from all of you!  Here’s what we’re looking for… The Hepatitis B Foundation maintains a database of liver specialists that have experience treating patients with HBV.  Based on your recommendations, we would love to extend an invitation to your liver specialist to participate in our directory of liver specialists.  If your liver specialist replies, we will add his/her name to the list. We’ve had some wonderful, new HBV friends on facebook from Africa and other continents, and we would encourage all of you to send us your liver specialist’s contact information.  Our international database is a little sparse, so we really need your input!  This would also include parents of children with HBV that are living abroad.  So, if you’ve got experience with a treating specialist that you’d like to share, you can be sure others will benefit from your advice. Here is what the Hepatitis B Foundation needs to know: Residing country Adult or pediatric specialist Liver specialist’s name and contact information  - including name, address, telephone number and email address (if available) Anything else you’d like to share! Email this important information to directory@hepb.org .  Please keep in mind that the information you provide is offered as a courtesy to others in the HBV community.  Your name will not be associated, and the addition of your physician does not make you responsible in any way.  This is not a physician referral service, but rather an opportunity for those living with HBV to share resources.  (Please note the disclaimer.) Thanks to all who participate.  The entire HBV

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/got-hepatitis-b-share-your-favorite-liver-specialist-with-the-hbv-community/