SEROEPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE AND RISK FACTORS FOR HEPATITIS B INFECTION IN HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN DIALYSIS UNITS

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of serological markers of hepatitis B and risk factors in health care workers of dialysis units. An analytical descriptive transversal study was performed with 138 health professionals from six dialysis units of Recife city, Brazil. Blood samples were collected between March and July, 2007 and tested for the HBsAg markers (HBsAg, anti-HBs and total anti-HBc) using ELISA method of third generation. Two softwares were used for statistical analysis: the Epi Info (v. 6.04) for the univariate analysis and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences- SPSS (v. 8.0) for multiple logistical regression. The prevalence of hepatitis B infections, determined by presence of the HBsAg and/or total anti-HBc markers in dialysis staff was 13%. Positivity rate for anti-HBs was 75.4%. However, 11.6% of them were susceptible to infection. In the univariate analysis the variables: length of employment in hemodialysis, quantity of individual protective equipment (IPEs), surgery and/or dentary-surgery antecedents and incomplete vaccination against HBV presented statistically significant association with HBV seropositivity. But, according the multivariate analysis, only length of employment in hemodialysis, quantity of individual protective equipment (IPEs) used and incomplete vaccination against HBV presented statistically significant association with HBV seropositivity. These results showed that dialysis units have been focused on reducing the occurrence of exposure to blood and body fluids. These strategies include reevaluating the kind of material used, demanding strict compliance for protection in risky occupational procedures, the use of gloves and other barriers and a follow-up with serological tests whenever there is a case of work-related injury with biological material, as well as mandatory vaccination after exposure. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17525/vrrjournal.v14i1.22

[1]  M. Rapicetta,et al.  Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Health Care Workers in Albania: a Country still Highly Endemic for HBV Infection , 2007, Infection.

[2]  D. Zanetta,et al.  Hepatitis B in healthcare workers: prevalence, vaccination and relation to occupational factors. , 2005, The Brazilian journal of infectious diseases : an official publication of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases.

[3]  F. Carrilho,et al.  Hepatitis B virus infection in Haemodialysis Centres from Santa Catarina State, Southern Brazil. Predictive risk factors for infection and molecular epidemiology , 2004, BMC public health.

[4]  A. Memon,et al.  Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and C amongst health workers of Civil Hospital Karachi. , 2002, JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association.

[5]  E. Vardas,et al.  Viral hepatitis in South African healthcare workers at increased risk of occupational exposure to blood-borne viruses. , 2002, The Journal of hospital infection.

[6]  Regina Maria Caruccio Martins,et al.  Perfil soroepidemiológico da infecção pelo vírus da hepatite B em profissionais das unidades de hemodiálise de Goiânia-Goiás, Brasil Central , 2001 .

[7]  G. Bonaccorsi,et al.  Vaccination against hepatitis B in health care workers. , 2001, Vaccine.

[8]  T. Coates,et al.  Hepatitis B vaccines: assessment of the seroprotective efficacy of two recombinant DNA vaccines. , 2001, Clinical therapeutics.

[9]  S. A. Silva,et al.  [Seroepidemiological profile of hepatitis B infection in staff at hemodialysis units of Goiânia-Goiás, Central Brazil]. , 2001, Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical.

[10]  J. V. Fernandes,et al.  [Prevalence of serologic markers of hepatitis B virus in hospital personnel]. , 1999, Revista de saude publica.

[11]  G. Ippolito,et al.  The risks of occupational exposure and infection by human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus in the dialysis setting. Italian Multicenter Study on Nosocomial and Occupational Risk of Infections in Dialysis. , 1995, American journal of infection control.

[12]  V. Anan’ev,et al.  [Risk of infection with hepatitis B and C viruses of medical workers, patients in the hemodialysis ward, and vaccine prophylaxis of hepatitis B infection in these populations]. , 1994, Voprosy virusologii.

[13]  I. Machado,et al.  Riesgo de exposicion ocupacional al virus de la hepatitis b en personal de salud venezolano. Estudio multicentrico , 1990 .

[14]  R. Borota,et al.  [Viral hepatitis in health care workers]. , 1981, Medicinski pregled.