Detecting liver inflammation earlier and treating it more successfully

Markus Cornberg, coordinator of the S3 guideline on hepatitis B virus infection and co-author Lisa Sandmann with the publication of their recommendations in the journal 'Zeitschrift für Gastroenterologie'; Copyright: Karin Kaiser / MHH - MHH in charge of new hepatitis guideline Viral and non-viral liver diseases are often detected late or not at all. As the symptoms are mostly unspecific, the disease progresses in secret and is only diagnosed when the stage of liver cirrhosis or liver cell cancer is reached. In order to detect and treat infections with hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses as early as possible, the Federal Joint Committee (Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss, G-BA) has included screening for both viruses as a statutory health insurance benefit in the health check for people with statutory health insurance as of 1 October 2021. The guidelines of the German Society for Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases provide information on what doctors should pay attention to in screening, diagnosis and therapy. The recommendations on hepatitis B virus infection are completely new and have now been completely reviewed and updated after ten years under the leadership of the Hannover Medical School (MHH). Have pregnant women screened for hepatitis B at an early stage. "We have re-evaluated 165 recommendations and adapted them to the current situation," says Professor Dr Markus Cornberg, Deputy Director of the MHH Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology and coordinator of the S3 guideline on hepatitis B virus infection.