Chronic hepatitis B in remote, tropical Australia; successes and challenges.

Introduction: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians living in remote locations suffer disproportionately from chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Defining the temporospatial epidemiology of the disease-and assessing the ability of local clinicians to deliver optimal care-is crucial to improving patient outcomes in these settings.

Methods: The demographic, laboratory and radiology findings in all patients diagnosed with CHB after 1990, and presently residing in remote Far North Queensland (FNQ), tropical Australia, were correlated with their management and clinical course.