The modern world constantly introduces changes in various aspects of life. In her article, Prinzin (2022) describes modifications in children’s health due to an outbreak of acute hepatitis (AH) of unknown origin. Some major points that the author explains concern the primary causes of hepatitis, possible contributors, and the current state of the investigation regarding the outburst of the infection (Prinzin, 2022). The report provides several noteworthy insights about AH in youths. First, the outbreak began in 2021 at the Children’s Hospital of Alabama, where some minor patients started presenting with AH (Prinzin, 2022). Second, the children did not have histories of significant diseases but, at the hospital, were having such symptoms as vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and jaundice (Prinzin, 2022). Third, doctors do not yet know the etiology of hepatitis, but the patient’s blood tests are reported to have adenovirus infection (AI), which can generate various health problems (Prinzin, 2022). Fourth, while medics have some hypotheses, stating the reasons behind AH in moderately healthy children (Prinzin, 2022) is difficult. The unidentified source of AH outbursts in the younger generation raises worries for many people.
Furthermore, the article provides information about multiple cases in different countries and the progress of the investigation. First, after the USA, AH of unknown cause was detected in children across Scotland and the United Kingdom (Prinzin, 2022). Second, despite having similar symptoms of AH, none of the patients have other types of hepatitis viruses (Prinzin, 2022). Third, the age of those diagnosed ranges from 1 month to sixteen years old (Prinzin, 2022). Fourth, the youths are noted to be previously healthy with no common exposure between cases (Prinzin, 2022). Fifth, determining the cause of the outbreak is intricate because the researchers have to consider multiple factors regarding such aspects as context and changes in diagnostic testing approaches (Prinzin, 2022). Sixth, there are five working hypotheses, and it appears that AH is likely to be provoked by more than a single infectious agent (Prinzin, 2022). Overall, the article was interesting to me as I am concerned about diseases of unidentified origin. The presented information is relevant to my career as a nurse because it is crucial for medical professionals to be knowledgeable about illnesses that are spread worldwide.
Reference
Prinzi, A. (2022).Investigating acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children. American Society for Microbiology.