Late signs of hepatitis B include which of the following?

• A. Weight loss and fever
• B. Nausea and vomiting
• C. Jaundice, weight loss, clay-colored stools, thrombocytopenia
• D. Abdominal pain only

Answer: (C)

Late signs reflect advanced liver dysfunction and cholestasis. When hepatitis B progresses, the liver’s ability to process and excrete bilirubin diminishes, causing jaundice. Cholestasis blocks bile flow into the intestine, leading to clay-colored stools. Ongoing liver impairment often brings weight loss as metabolism and appetite are affected. As liver disease becomes more severe, thrombopoietin production drops and portal hypertension can cause splenic sequestration, resulting in thrombocytopenia. Abdominal pain can occur but is nonspecific, and fever or nausea/vomiting are more typical of the early or acute phase. This combination—jaundice, pale stools, weight loss, and low platelets—best fits the late signs of hepatitis B.