Autoimmune Hepatitis Leading to Liver Cirrhosis: A Case Report.

Autoimmune hepatitis is a rare form of chronic liver inflammation that begins as acute hepatitis and progresses to chronic liver disease. It presents with varied clinical features from acute hepatitis to chronic liver diseases like chronic viral hepatitis and alcoholic liver disease, making it difficult to diagnose in the absence of a high index of suspicion and adequate laboratory support. Autoimmune hepatitis is divided into two categories autoimmune hepatitis-1 and autoimmune hepatitis-2 based on the antibodies involved. We discuss the case of a 37-year-old woman who developed autoimmune hepatitis-1, with swelling and epigastric pain. These symptoms later progressed to liver cirrhosis leading to the death of the patient. Autoimmune hepatitis is extremely sensitive to immunosuppressive medication, it is necessary to maintain a high suspicion index for the disease because a prompt diagnosis can be an integral step toward a better prognosis of the disease. Keywords: autoimmune hepatitis; case reports; chronic hepatitis; liver cirrhosis.

Practice among Healthcare Workers Regarding the Use of Respiratory Protective Equipment during COVID-19 Pandemic in a Tertiary Care Center: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare workers are always at the risk of exposure to different diseases like respiratory illness including COVID-19. Using appropriate face mask or respiratory protective equipment correctly can prevent transmission of diseases from and to healthcare workers while caring for patients. The study aimed to find out the practice regarding use of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary care center. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital during June-July 2020 after receiving ethical approval from the review committee regarding practice of use of face masks. Convenience sampling method was used and a sample size of 162 was taken. Descriptive statistical analysis was done. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. RESULTS: Among 162 participants, 123 (75.9%) knew the correct way of using the masks (72.5-79.3 at 95% Confidence Interval). CONCLUSIONS: In this study regarding practice of use of face masks, most of the healthcare workers knew the correct way of using masks and practised hygiene before and after using masks.