PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Elgouhari, Hesham M.
AU  - Abu-Rajab Tamimi, Tarek I.
AU  - Carey, William D.
TI  - Hepatitis B virus infection: Understanding its epidemiology, course, and diagnosis
AID  - 10.3949/ccjm.75a.07019
DP  - 2008 Dec 01
TA  - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
PG  - 881--889
VI  - 75
IP  - 12
4099  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/75/12/881.short
4100  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/75/12/881.full
SO  - Cleve Clin J Med2008 Dec 01; 75
AB  - Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is not as common in the United States as in some countries, 5,000 Americans die from it every year. This number can be significantly decreased with proper screening and by vaccinating people at risk. Internists should be aware of the natural history of HBV infection, a vital prerequisite to correctly assessing disease severity and subsequently determining the need for antiviral therapy.