Evaluation of antibodies to hepatitis B(Anti HBs) titres in health care workers in a Tertiary care centre

Abstract

To evaluate the anti-HBs titres among medical students and Health Care Workers (HCW) who are vaccinated against Hepatitis B virus and find the level of protection among HCWs.The study was done at the Department of Microbiology, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences. The study group included residents from various medical and surgical departments, lab assistants and research fellows. It was a prospective cross sectional study.A total of 56 subjects were included in the study ,all were Hbs antigen negative and vaccinated for Hepatitis B. Out of 56 subjects, 50(89%) had titres in the protective range (>10mIU/ml), 2(3.57%) had titres <10mIU/ml and titres were not detected in 4(7.14%).All health care workers though vaccinated should regularly check the titres for optimum protection. Health care workers who are at a higher risk of exposure to Hepatitis B should be vaccinated and have their titres monitored every 5 years.