One haemodialysis unit's experience of hepatitis B

Haemodialysis patients are at high risk of contracting Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). This blood borne virus has been responsible for many critical incidents within haemodialysis units around the world. This paper seeks to explore one such outbreak and at the same time look more closely at HBV and connected issues. The incident discussed occurred within a haemodialysis unit situated in the Northwest of England. This paper is presented as a case study. When HBV was detected in a previously HBV negative patient a crisis management team moved quickly to contain any possible outbreak and sought to discover the origin of the infection. An outline of the personal and financial cost to the organisation, what lessons have been learnt and why recommendations have been made to immunise the local dialysis population again HBV will be presented.