GPs are urged to assess and refer patients with hepatitis B for
specialist treatment, in new NICE guidance aimed at increasing
specialist treatment for the disease.
The guidance,
the first NICE has developed on diagnosis and management of hepatitis
B, calls on GPs to arrange further tests for people who are found to be
hepatitis B surface antigen positive, and refer them straight on to a
hepatologist or gastroenterologist.
According to NICE, a recent
London audit found a third of people with chronic hepatitis B infection
diagnosed in primary care were not referred for specialist treatment
and, despite substantial progress in treatments, the condition remains
under-recognised and poorly understood.
Read more... Labels: Disease Management, Guidelines, M, physician awareness