Editing Hepatitis (section)

=== Acute hepatitis ===
Nearly all patients with hepatitis A infections recover completely without complications if they were healthy prior to the infection. Similarly, acute hepatitis B infections have a favorable course towards complete recovery in 95–99% of patients.<ref name="Harrison's Principles, chapter 360 (Acute Viral)" /> Certain factors may portend a poorer outcome, such as co-morbid medical conditions or initial presenting symptoms of ascites, edema, or encephalopathy.<ref name="Harrison's Principles, chapter 360 (Acute Viral)" /> Overall, the mortality rate for acute hepatitis is low: ~0.1% in total for cases of hepatitis A and B, but rates can be higher in certain populations (super infection with both hepatitis B and D, pregnant women, etc.).<ref name="Harrison's Principles, chapter 360 (Acute Viral)" />

In contrast to hepatitis A & B, hepatitis C carries a much higher risk of progressing to chronic hepatitis, approaching 85–90%.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Hepatitis C Virus: From Molecular Virology to Antiviral Therapy|publisher=Springer|year=2013|editor-last=Bartenschlager}}</ref>  Cirrhosis has been reported to develop in 20–50% of patients with chronic hepatitis C.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

Other rare complications of acute hepatitis include [[pancreatitis]], [[aplastic anemia]], [[peripheral neuropathy]], and [[myocarditis]].<ref name="Harrison's Principles, chapter 360 (Acute Viral)" />

==== Fulminant hepatitis ====
Despite the relatively benign course of most viral cases of hepatitis, fulminant hepatitis represents a rare but feared complication. Fulminant hepatitis most commonly occurs in hepatitis B, D, and E. About 1–2% of cases of hepatitis E can lead to fulminant hepatitis, but pregnant women are particularly susceptible, occurring in up to 20% of cases.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Khuroo|first=MS|date=1981|title=Incidence and severity of viral hepatitis in pregnancy|journal=Am J Med|doi=10.1016/0002-9343(81)90796-8 |pmid=6781338|volume=70|issue=2|pages=252–5}}</ref> Mortality rates in cases of fulminant hepatitis rise over 80%, but those patients that do survive often make a complete recovery. Liver transplantation can be life-saving in patients with fulminant liver failure.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gill|first=RQ|date=2001|title=Acute Liver Failure|journal=J Clin Gastroenterol|doi=10.1097/00004836-200109000-00005|pmid=11500606|volume=33|issue=3|pages=191–8}}</ref>

Hepatitis D infections can transform benign cases of hepatitis B into severe, progressive hepatitis, a phenomenon known as [[superinfection]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Smedile|first1=A|display-authors=etal|date=1981|title=Infection with the delta agent in chronic HBsAg carriers|journal=Gastroenterology|doi= 10.1016/S0016-5085(81)80003-0|pmid=7286594|volume=81|issue=6|pages=992–7|url=https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(81)80003-0/fulltext|doi-access=free}}</ref>