Hepatitis-B Virus Infection in Anaesthetists

Abstract

To determine whether anaesthetists are at risk from developing hepatitis-B virus (HBV) infection from their patients, 95 anaesthetists working with black South Africans (who have a high prevalence of hepatitis-B antigenaemia) were questioned about attacks of viral hepatitis and their blood was tested for hepatitis-B (surface) antigen (HBsAg) and antibody (Anti-HBs). Anti-HBs was detected in the serum of 17.9% of the anaesthetists, but none was a chronic carrier of HBsAg. Two anaesthetists had suffered from acute viral hepatitis during their careers, one of whom is now positive for Anti-HBs. Forty-five of the anaesthetists (47.4%) were known to have anaesthetized patients with HBs antigenaemia, and of these seven were Anti-HBs-positive. Anaesthetists working with a population having a high carrier rate of HBV appear to be more at risk from HBV infection than the general population.

Prevalence of hepatitis B infection among hospital personnel in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

“…People working in hemodialysis units, oncology wards, blood laboratories, etc. are said to be at an increased risk of acquiring the infection (2,12,15). Several studies using serological markers of hepatitis B virus have shown a significant positive association between blood exposure and seropositivity of hospital employees (11).…”