[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Medical–surgical nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/med-surg/) › Viral hepatitis: precautions by type, vaccination, rest, nutrition and teaching # Viral hepatitis: precautions by type, vaccination, rest, nutrition and teaching - Safe practice In viral hepatitis the type sets the precautions: stool for A and E, blood for B, C and D; vaccines exist for A and B, and C can be cured. Updated Nov 13, 2026 ## Key points - Hepatitis A and E spread by the faecal-oral route: standard precautions, plus contact precautions for diapered or incontinent patients. - Hepatitis B, C and D spread through blood and body fluids: standard precautions; no isolation room is needed. - Vaccines exist against hepatitis A and B, not C; the first hepatitis B dose is given within 24 hours of birth (in Colombia, by the PAI schedule). - Acute hepatitis is treated with supportive care: rest, a balanced diet and enough fluids. - Hepatitis C can be cured: a course of oral direct-acting antivirals cures more than 95 % of people. - Health workers are vaccinated against hepatitis B and report every needlestick at once. ## What it is Viral hepatitis is liver inflammation caused by the hepatitis A, B, C, D or E viruses. They differ in how they spread, which sets the nursing precautions and the teaching. Acute hepatitis is mostly managed with supportive care; chronic hepatitis B and C need linkage to care and long follow-up. The nurse applies the right precautions, supports rest, food and fluids, protects staff and contacts, checks vaccination and teaches how to avoid passing the virus on. ## What it requires - Knowing the virus type, because it sets the precautions. - Hand washing with soap and water after the toilet or a nappy change and before handling food. - Safe use and disposal of sharps, and the exposure protocol. - The vaccination status of the patient, contacts and staff. ## How it is applied (and why) - Apply standard precautions with every patient — B and C spread through blood, often without symptoms. - Add contact precautions for a diapered or incontinent patient with A or E — the virus is in the stool. - Teach hand washing after the toilet or nappy changes and before preparing or eating food — it blocks the main route of A. - Use and dispose of sharps safely and follow the exposure protocol — needlesticks transmit B and C. - Teach: no sharing razors, toothbrushes or injection equipment; condoms for sex — these spread B and C. - Support rest, a balanced diet and fluids; record intake and vomiting — care in acute hepatitis is supportive. - Report worsening jaundice, persistent vomiting or any new change in the patient's condition — severe acute hepatitis can lead to liver failure. - Check vaccination and refer contacts as the protocol says — hepatitis A vaccine within 2 weeks of exposure can protect. - For chronic B or C, teach follow-up and adherence — treatment prevents liver damage and cancer. ## In nursing practice - Hepatitis B caught in infancy becomes chronic in about 95 % of cases, against less than 5 % in adults: hence the birth dose. - Most people with hepatitis C have no symptoms, so testing is what finds it. - Chronic hepatitis B treatment is usually lifelong once started. - Hepatitis A is not chronic, but older adults and people with liver disease can become very ill. - Hepatitis B passes mostly from mother to child at birth; the birth dose, with antiviral medicines in pregnancy when indicated, reduces it. ## Common mistakes - Using contact isolation for hepatitis B or C instead of reliable standard precautions. - Forgetting contact precautions for an incontinent patient with hepatitis A or E. - Delaying the report of a needlestick. - Missing the newborn's hepatitis B dose in the first 24 hours. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Which precautions does a patient with hepatitis B need in hospital? Standard precautions. Hepatitis B spreads through blood and body fluids, so safe sharps handling and protective equipment for exposure are key; no isolation room is needed. ## When does a patient with hepatitis A need contact precautions? When diapered or incontinent, because the virus is shed in the stool; otherwise standard precautions apply. ## Which types of viral hepatitis have a vaccine? Hepatitis A and B. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. ## When is the first hepatitis B vaccine dose given to a newborn? Within 24 hours of birth, because infection in infancy becomes chronic in most cases. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/viral-hepatitis-precautions-by-type-vaccination-rest-nutrition-and-teaching/) ## Elsewhere in DurgiPedia - [Jaundice: prehepatic, hepatic and posthepatic](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/jaundice-prehepatic-hepatic-and-posthepatic/) ## Connections ## Related 3 - [Standard precautions](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/standard-precautions/) - [Sharps safety and what to do after a needlestick](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/sharps-safety-and-what-to-do-after-a-needlestick/) - [Giving vaccines safely and Colombia's PAI schedule](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/giving-vaccines-safely-and-colombia-s-pai-schedule/) ## Related conditions 1 - [Viral hepatitis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/viral-hepatitis/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [Isolation Precautions, Appendix A: Type and Duration of Precautions Recommended for Selected Infections and Conditions](https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/isolation-precautions/appendix-a-type-duration.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007); [Clinical Overview of Hepatitis A](https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis-a/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2026); [Clinical Overview of Hepatitis C](https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis-c/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2026); [Hepatitis B: fact sheet](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-b) (World Health Organization, 2026). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/viral-hepatitis-precautions-by-type-vaccination-rest-nutrition-and-teaching/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/viral-hepatitis-precautions-by-type-vaccination-rest-nutrition-and-teaching/