HBsAg amongst unscreened operated patients

Prevalence of asymptomatic Hepatitis B carrier state varies in different countries. Surgical procedures are an important mode of dissemination of Hepatitis B virus infection. Five hundred patients whose HBsAg status was not known and had undergone a major operative procedure in the Dhaka Medical College Hospital were screened for HBsAg. Of these, 43 (8.6%) were found to be HBsAg positive. Age, sex, and previous history of jaundice didn't show any relationship with the HBsAg status. But the HBsAg positivity was found to be positively related to the past history of blood transfusion, hospitalization and injections.