PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS B AND HEPATITIS C AMONG PREOPERATIVE SURGICAL PATIENTS AT BASRAH GENERAL HOSPITAL

Abstract

Viral hepatitis is a worldwide health problem which requires a thorough knowledge and orientation. Clinical awareness of medical and paramedical staff regarding hepatitis portfolios so important to avoid serious short and long term sequel of hepatitis distribution to other individuals therefore a fundamental strategy has been planned and made in our local surgical field to highlight that issue in different types of surgery. Patients and methods: Retrospective descriptive study was carried out at Basrah General Hospital; Department of Surgery between Sept 2012 and Sept 2013 for patients underwent elective surgery in surgical department. Data was collected on the patients’ clinical history and laboratory findings of hepatitis screen for preoperative patients. The findings were recorded in a structured compilation. Results: A total of one thousand and seven hundred and thirty patients entered the study and those were analyzed in terms of general patient data in respect to age and sex as well as analysis of hepatitis screening findings. There were 1034 (59.7 %) males and 696 (40.3 %) females, with ages ranging from 8 months -70 year. The highest prevalence of Hepatitis B and C occurred in the same age group of 40 to 49 years. The sex related distribution of Hepatitis in general patients revealed more female patients than male ones (45/43).This figure is similar among patients in Hepatitis C (22/19) and both Hepatitis B and C (2/1). Hepatitis B showed a reverse pattern of being male predominance with a male to female distribution (23/21). In conclusion: Clinical awareness is the master of prevention of Hepatitis spread as proper knowledge about transmission and precautions could be of value in reducing disease transmission.

Keywords

• hepatitis b and hepatitis c