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    Diagnosis

    Blood tests
    Hepatitis B is detected by a blood test that looks for antibodies to hepatitis B. Antibodies are protein substances produced by your body’s immune system in response to invading substances (antigens) that come with the virus.

    You can have the blood test at a GP surgery, a hospital clinic or a sexual health (genito-urinary medicine, or GUM) clinic.

    It may take several weeks before you know whether your test has been positive or negative. The test can have several results, each of which will tell the doctor different things about your infection.

    There are other tests used by doctors to fi nd out if the virus is affecting your liver and/or the amount of damage that may be occurring.

    Liver function tests (LFTs)     
    Liver function tests measure the amount of substances present in your blood that might indicate damage to your liver. These include liver enzymes (ALT, AST) and proteins (bilirubin, albumin and prothrombin). However, these substances are not always good indicators of liver damage and do not detect the presence of the virus itself. LFT levels can fl uctuate throughout the course of the disease. Sometimes they are normal but this does not prove that liver damage is not happening.

    Ultrasound scan  
    Ultrasound scan is a non-invasive scan, that does not pierce your skin, may be used to look at the health of your liver and whether there is scarring or stiffness visible. This is the same technology used to confirm all is well in pregnancy. Gel will be applied to your skin, which may feel slightly cold. A probe, like a microphone, will be moved across your skin to send sound waves into the liver area. The reflected sound waves, or echoes, are picked up through the probe and used to build a screen image of your liver’s condition.  

    Liver biopsy     
    A  liver biopsy is used to assess the amount of damage to your liver. During a liver biopsy a tiny piece of the liver is taken for study. A fine hollow needle is passed through the skin into the liver and a small sample of tissue is withdrawn. The test is usually done under local anaesthetic and involves a short stay in hospital - usually a single day, but occasionally overnight. As the test can be uncomfortable and there is a very small risk of internal bleeding or bile leakage, a stay in bed of at least six to eight hours is required. The results of your biopsy are graded and staged according to the degree of liver inflammation and scarring.