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Hepatitis B virus infection in hemodialysis units: clinical features, epidemiological markers and general control
J F Castro-Figueiredo1, M Moyses-Neto, U A Gomes
1Departamento de Clínica Médicaa, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil.
Abstract:
1. A total of 140 patients and 41 staff members were submitted to periodic testing for HBsAg from January 1979 to December 1984 at the Hemodialysis Unit of the University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo. Twenty-two HBsAg-positive subjects were detected during this period, 15 of whom had acquired the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the Unit (10 patients and 5 staff-members). 2. HBV prevalence was not uniform throughout the period of study, with an increase of hepatitis B cases occurring after September 1981 and reaching epidemic proportions which lasted until January 1983. 3. Among the preventive measures adopted, epidemiological alert, grouping patients and workers according to susceptibility or immunity to the infection, and setting up a separate area for the dialysis of infected patients appeared to be most important. 4. The use of HBV subtyping as an epidemiological marker permitted us to demonstrate that HBV was introduced into the Unit by chronic carrier patients and spread internally through the probable contamination of equipment and unit environment.