Hepatitis B in obstetric patients in the community hospital: the need for screening

A prospective survey was conducted in a 200-bed community hospital that averages approximately 250 deliveries per month. One hundred consenting obstetric patients were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Additionally, hospital physicians were encouraged to order an entire hepatitis serological profile on high-risk obstetric patients, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control; six additional patients were screened by these physicians. Of the 106 patients screened, two (1.9%) were found to have HBsAg. Both were among the six high-risk patients, indicating a 33% prevalence of HBsAg among high-risk obstetric patients and a zero prevalence among low-risk patients. The results appear to support the need for screening of high-risk obstetric patients for hepatitis B. Moreover, vaccination against hepatitis B is advisable for obstetric health-care personnel, who are frequently exposed to blood and extravascular fluids.