What it means
The virus that causes hepatitis B. It spreads through contact with infected blood and body fluids, as by sharing needles, needlestick injuries, unprotected sex, or from a pregnant person to the baby. Some people clear it; others carry it for life (chronic infection), which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. A safe vaccine prevents it.
For the nurse
Health care workers should complete the hepatitis B vaccine series. Use standard precautions and never recap needles. Newborns get the first dose of the vaccine at birth; babies of infected mothers also get hepatitis B immune globulin within 12 hours.
At a glance
| Abbreviations | HBV; HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen, the blood test for infection) |
|---|---|
| Spanish | virus de la hepatitis B |
| Also written | HBV |
Related terms
vaccine
A product that trains the immune system to protect the body against a specific disease.
infectious disease
An illness caused by a germ such as a bacterium, virus, fungus or parasite.
virus
A tiny germ, much smaller than a bacterium, that can only multiply inside the living cells of another organism.
liver disease
Any condition that damages the liver or keeps it from working normally.