OBJECTIVETo analyze the development of liver damage and reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) during the treatment of extremely severe burn injury in HBsAg positive patients, in order to provide reference for prevention and treatment of liver damage in patients with HBV infection after extremely severe burn.

METHODSMedical records of 54 HBsAg positive patients after extremely severe burn injury admitted from January 2004 to December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Development of liver damage and HBV reactivation of these patients during the treatment were analyzed according to the classification of their gender, results of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and HBV DNA examinations on admission, and development of sepsis in the process of treatment. Data were processed with chi-square test.

RESULTS(1) The incidence of liver damage in the process of treatment of these patients was 85.2% (46/54). Among all the patients, the proportion of liver damage was 35/38 in male, which was significantly higher than that in female (11/16, χ² = 4.867, P<0.05). Liver damage was found in all of 26 patients who were HBeAg positive on admission, 34 patients who were HBV DNA positive on admission, and 36 patients who developed sepsis in the process of treatment; the proportions were significantly higher than those in patients who were HBeAg negative on admission (20/28), patients who were HBV DNA negative on admission (12/20), and patients who did not develop sepsis in the process of treatment (10/18), with χ² values respectively 11.801, 18.384, and 20.574, P values below 0.01. (2) The incidence of HBV reactivation in these patients was 29.6% (16/54). Among all the patients, the proportion of HBV reactivation was 13/38 in male and 3/16 in female, with no statistically significant difference between them (χ² = 0.656, P>0.05). The proportions of HBV reactivation in patients who were HBeAg positive on admission, patients who were HBV DNA positive on admission, and patients who developed sepsis in the process of treatment were respectively 13/26, 16/34, and 15/36, and they were significantly higher than those in patients who were HBeAg negative on admission (3/28), patients who were HBV DNA negative on admission (0/20), and patients who did not develop sepsis in the process of treatment (1/18), with χ² values respectively 9.979, 18.615, and 5.873, P<0.05 or P<0.01.

CONCLUSIONSPatients who are HBsAg positive, HBeAg positive, HBV DNA positive on admission, and develop sepsis in the process of treatment of extremely severe burn injury are more likely to develop liver damage and HBV reactivation. It is necessary to dynamically monitor the changes in HBV DNA and liver function, in order to identity the reactivation of virus.