Healthcare workers at a high risk of getting infected with Hepatitis B

A research by doctors from Smt. Kashibai Navale Medical College involving 220 health-care workers in hospitals revealed that they carried a high risk of getting infected with Hepatitis B.

According to the findings of the research, they had little awareness and practiced few precautions for safe disposal of blood and other body fluids of patients.

One in five of the health-care workers in the hospitals know the proper techniques to destroy/ disinfect blood and body fluids of patients in the hospital and an equal amount know that it can be transmitted by tattooing, ear and nose piercing. While merely one out of four were vaccinated against Hepatitis B.

Dr Shankar Bhosale and Dr Kevin Fernandez of the Smt. Kashibai Navale Medical College conducted a study on the workers of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Pune with the objective to assess the basic knowledge, attitude, and practices, about viral hepatitis B among class IV workers.

'We surveyed all the hospital workers and found that though they were aware about the viral disease, their knowledge and practices regarding hepatitis B was not adequate enough. The workers were not trained to handle the harmful waste generated at the hospital which puts them at a greater risk of getting infected,' said Bhosale.

In the case of acute hepatitis B, the person's immunity system may get rid of it within a period of time. However, the patient is capable of transmitting it to others.

'Around 78 per cent of the health-care workers are unaware of the fact that they are at a high risk of hepatitis B,' said Bhosale. (Read: Call to end attacks on health workers)

Key facts about Hepatitis B

• Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.
• The virus is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person.
• Two billion people worldwide have been infected with the virus and about 600 000 people die every year due to the consequences of hepatitis B.
• The hepatitis B virus is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV.
• Hepatitis B is an important occupational hazard for health workers.
• Hepatitis B is preventable with the currently available safe and effective vaccine.

With inputs from DNA

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