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Routine screening for hepatitis B in an obstetric population.
C R Butterfield1, M Shockley, G San Miguel
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, William Beaumont Army Medical Center, El Paso, Texas.
Obstetrics and Gynecology
|July 1, 1990
Summary
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) risk factors for hepatitis B are not reliable predictors for identifying hepatitis B surface antigen carriers in pregnant women. Many positive cases would be missed using current CDC guidelines.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection poses risks during pregnancy.
- Identifying carriers is crucial for preventing perinatal transmission.
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) risk factors are used for screening.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of CDC-defined risk factors in predicting hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier status.
- To assess the prevalence of HBsAg in an obstetric population.
- To determine if CDC guidelines adequately identify HBsAg-positive pregnant individuals.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 1466 consecutive obstetric patients.
- Serum screening for HBsAg using radioimmunoassay.
- Interviews to collect data on CDC-defined hepatitis B risk factors.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of HBsAg was 0.82% (12 out of 1466 patients).
- Only 6 of the 12 HBsAg-positive patients had recognized CDC risk factors.
- Half of HBsAg-positive patients would not have been identified by CDC guidelines.
Conclusions:
- CDC risk factors are insufficient for identifying HBsAg carriers in obstetric populations.
- Current screening guidelines may miss a significant proportion of infected pregnant individuals.
- Rethinking screening strategies for hepatitis B in pregnant women is warranted.