Hepatitis B immunization and exposure to blood among surgical staff

A questionnaire was sent to all 158 staff of the operating department of a London teaching hospital to confirm their hepatitis B immunization status and establish the number of incidents involving exposure to blood during the preceding 4 weeks. Of these personnel, 104 (66 per cent) were known to be immune to hepatitis B either through immunization (97) or previous infection (seven). A further 23 (15 per cent) had completed a course of immunization but their seroconversion had not been checked. There were 26 sharps injuries sustained by 14 (12 per cent) of 119 staff and 240 other exposures to blood. Four of the sharps injuries had been reported. Staff known to be immune were more likely than those with unknown or negative immunity to report incidents (20 versus 0 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval of difference 2-38 per cent)). Doctors sustained more non-sharps exposures to blood than others (47 versus 23 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval of difference 7-40 per cent)). An important minority of operating department staff remains unimmunized against hepatitis B, although exposure to blood is common. Incidents are rarely reported and staff with unknown or negative immunity seem less likely to report than those known to be immune.