Infectious hepatitis in Leicester 1963-6

Infectious hepatitis in Bristol, 1959-70

An outbreak of infectious hepatitis occurred in Bristol between January 1960 and January 1961.

Children between the ages of 5 and 10 years were particularly affected.

No association with Down's syndrome, or with immunization procedures, drugs or dental anaesthetics was found.

Serum alkaline phosphatase levels in infective hepatitis

The level of the serum alkaline phosphatase showed a better correlation with the age of the patient than with the severity of the illness in a series of 222 patients suffering from infective hepatitis seen in general practice and in hospital. Possible reasons for this are discussed and it is suggested that this test is of practical diagnostic value to the general practitioner when he is faced with the problem of a vague gastro-intestinal illness in a child. Parallel estimations of the 5′ nucleotidase appears to be of value in the interpretation of the results in such patients. Alkaline phosphatase assay might also be of use in epidemiological investigations of this disease.