Word parts
What it means
A viral infection of the liverLIV-erA large organ in the right upper abdomen that processes nutrients, makes bile and clotting factors, and clears drugs and toxins from the blood.hepat/o liverFull entry spread through blood, sex and from mother to baby at birth. Some people clear it; others, especially those infected as babies, carry it for life (chronic hepatitis B), which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. A vaccine prevents it and is given in a series starting at birth.
For the nurse
Use standard precautions and safe handling of sharps. Health care workers should be vaccinated. A baby born to a mother with hepatitis B gets the vaccine and hepatitis B immune globulin within 12 hours of birth.
At a glance
| Abbreviations | HBV |
|---|---|
| Spanish | hepatitis B |
| Also written | hep B |
Related terms
vaccine
A product that trains the immune system to protect the body against a specific disease.
hepat/o
A word root that means liver.
liver
A large organ in the right upper abdomen that processes nutrients, makes bile and clotting factors, and clears drugs and toxins from the blood.
standard precautions
The basic infection-control practices used with every client, whether or not an infection is known.