Skip to main content
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1987 Aug;77(8):998–999. doi: 10.2105/ajph.77.8.998

Prevalence of hepatitis B serologic markers in community hospital personnel.

A A McLean, G R Monahan, D M Finkelstein
PMCID: PMC1647246  PMID: 3605482

Abstract

The seroprevalence of hepatitis B markers among predominantly high-risk staff members and personnel of 31 community hospitals located throughout the United States was 8.4 per cent (greater than or equal to 5 per cent in 25 hospitals and greater than or equal to 10 per cent in 13 hospitals). Only two hospitals had seroprevalence rates less than or equal to 3 per cent. The institutional seroprevalence ranged from 0 per cent to 16.7 per cent, with a median of 8.2 per cent. Although there are limitations to this survey, the results suggest that the well established increased risk of contracting HBV infection among certain groups of health-care workers in urban teaching medical centers may also hold true for personnel in similar occupational and professional categories in community hospitals.

Full text

PDF
998

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Dandoy S. E., Kirkman-Liff B. L., Krakowski F. M. Hepatitis B exposure incidents in community hospitals. Am J Public Health. 1984 Aug;74(8):804–807. doi: 10.2105/ajph.74.8.804. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dandoy S., Kirkman-Liff B. Hepatitis B prevention in small rural hospitals. West J Med. 1984 Nov;141(5):627–630. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Denes A. E., Smith J. L., Maynard J. E., Doto I. L., Berquist K. R., Finkel A. J. Hepatitis B infection in physicians. Results of a nationwide seroepidemiologic survey. JAMA. 1978 Jan 16;239(3):210–212. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dienstag J. L., Ryan D. M. Occupational exposure to hepatitis B virus in hospital personnel: infection or immunization? Am J Epidemiol. 1982 Jan;115(1):26–39. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113277. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hadler S. C., Doto I. L., Maynard J. E., Smith J., Clark B., Mosley J., Eickhoff T., Himmelsbach C. K., Cole W. R. Occupational risk of hepatitis B infection in hospital workers. Infect Control. 1985 Jan;6(1):24–31. doi: 10.1017/s0195941700062457. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Harris J. R., Finger R. F., Kobayashi J. M., Hadler S. C., Murphy B. L., Berkelman R. L., Bussell K. E. The low risk of hepatitis B in rural hospitals. Results of a seroepidemiologic survey. JAMA. 1984 Dec 21;252(23):3270–3272. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hicks C. G., Hargiss C. O., Harris J. R. Prevalence survey for hepatitis B in high-risk university hospital employees. Am J Infect Control. 1985 Feb;13(1):1–6. doi: 10.1016/0196-6553(85)90002-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hirschowitz B. I., Dasher C. A., Whitt F. J., Cole G. W. Hepatitis B antigen and antibody and tests of liver function: a prospective study of 310 hospital laboratory workers. Am J Clin Pathol. 1980 Jan;73(1):63–68. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/73.1.63. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Klimek J. J., Brettman L., Neuhaus E., Garibaldi R. A. A multi-hospital hepatitis B vaccine program: prevalence of antibody and acceptance of vaccination among high-risk hospital employees. Infect Control. 1985 Jan;6(1):32–34. doi: 10.1017/s0195941700062469. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pattison C. P., Maynard J. E., Berquist D. R., Webster H. M. Epidemiology of hepatitis B in hospital personnel. Am J Epidemiol. 1975 Jan;101(1):59–64. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112071. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES