Hepatitis B virus infection in Southeast Asian children

Since the end of the war in Vietnam, approximately 850,000 Southeast Asian refugees have come to the United States. They present a challenge for health care providers because of language and cultural differences that can create barriers to effective health care. Nurse practitioners who work with Southeast Asian refugees should be aware that hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is highly endemic in Southeast Asia, and the virus is most commonly transmitted during the perinatal period or during childhood. HBV infection can cause acute hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and primary hepatocellular carcinoma and is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Susceptible children and infants born to mothers who are hepatitis B carriers should be vaccinated with the hepatitis B vaccine. Vaccination can prevent the serious sequelae of HBV in a high percentage of the pediatric population.