POSTHEPATITIS SYNDROME REVISITED

To examine the role of acute hepatitis A and B infection in the aetiol ogy of chronic fatigue syndrome and psychiatric morbidity we studied 4 0 patients with acute viral hepatitis A or B consecutively admitted to an infectious diseases unit and studied at least 6 months after recov ery, Liver function tests (LFT) had returned to normal in each case. F orty-seven patients with other infectious diseases, of which 12 were p resumed viral, admitted immediately after each hepatitis patient durin g the same period acted as controls, The main outcome measures were sc ores on a fatigue and muscle pain questionnaire, general health questi onnaire (GHQ12) and supplementary questions, The hepatitis cases score d significantly higher fatigue scores, GHQ-12 scores and muscle pain s cores. Length of time since recovery from illness, age and sex were no t confounding factors, Hepatitis cases were also less energetic, had g reater weight change, had altered alcohol tolerance, had less exercise tolerance and felt less fit than the control group and compared with their premorbid state, Hence fatigue is more common after recovery in patients hospitalized for hepatitis A and B up to 30 months post-infec tion compared with matched controls hospitalized for other infectious diseases, Hepatitis A and B infection is a risk factor for post-infect ion fatigue, intermittent fatigue, as well as for psychiatric morbidit y.