A 23-year-old man arrives to the emergency department after suffering from fever and malaise for 7 days. He has also experienced nausea and a loss of appetite. The patient has no substantial medical history, but he utilizes injectable medications on a daily basis and has had several sexual partners. The temperature is 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 F). Scleral icterus is discovered during a physical examination. 4 cm below the right costal border, a sensitive, smooth liver edge is perceptible. The appropriate treatment is started. The graph below depicts the evolution of this patient's hepatitis B serologic markers over time. Which of the following best explains these observed findings?

Question

A 23-year-old man arrives to the emergency department after suffering from fever and malaise for 7 days. He has also experienced nausea and a loss of appetite. The patient has no substantial medical history, but he utilizes injectable medications on a daily basis and has had several sexual partners. The temperature is 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 F). Scleral icterus is discovered during a physical examination. 4 cm below the right costal border, a sensitive, smooth liver edge is perceptible. The appropriate treatment is started. The graph below depicts the evolution of this patient's hepatitis B serologic markers over time.  Which of the following best explains these observed findings?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: The existence of anti-HBc and anti-HBs antibodies in the blood in the absence of detectable viral antigens suggests that the patient has recovered from acute hepatitis B infection. Patients who have been immunized against hepatitis B, on the other hand, will have anti-HBs antibodies but no detectable anti-HBc levels. Persistent levels of HBsAg and HBV DNA in the blood suggest chronic hepatitis B.

A 23-Year-Old Man Arrives to the Emergency Department After Suffering