The seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C infections in operating room personnel and evaluation of the predisposing factors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C infections in the personnel of the operating room of Ondokuz Mayis University Hospital, to detect the carriers and actively infected individuals, to find out the health-workers' behaviours for the prevention from these infections, and to ascertain the risk factors of these diseases. HBsAg, anti-HBc, anti-HBs and anti-HCV antibodies were examined in the serum samples of 190 personnel, and their gender, education, working time (year), the daily working time in operating theatre (part/full time), the history of past hepatitis B infection, hepatitis B immunization, history of a past operation and blood transfusion, and the use of gloves during working (continuously-intermittent) were questioned. As a result, no carrier and/or actively infected personnel with hepatitis B and C were detected, while 36 (18.9%) of them had a history of past hepatitis B infection, and 132 (69.5%) of them had hepatitis B vaccine. The continuous glove use was more common in part-time workers than those of full-time workers, the history of past hepatitis B infection was increasing as the duration of working years increase, and the rates of being vaccinated against hepatitis B was decreasing as the duration of working years increase (p<0.05).