ASSESSMENT OF HEPATITIS B VACCINATION STATUS IN DOCTORS OF SERVICES HOSPITAL, LAHORE

Authors

  • Rabia Arshed Usmani
  • Maaz Suhail Rana
  • Muhammad Saleem Wazir
  • Huda Sarwer
  • Huda Fazli
  • Muhammad Ali Pervaiz
  • Irum Tahir
  • Rabbiya Sajjad

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B is the most common serious infection of the liver and can lead to premature
death from liver cancer or liver failure. Of the two billion people who have been infected with Hepatitis
B virus, more than 350 million have chronic infection. The objectives of this study were to assess the
Hepatitis B vaccination status, reasons for non-compliance and the risk of exposure to doctors at a
tertiary care hospital. Methods: Three hundred and twenty-two doctors were selected from the various
departments of the hospital by simple random sampling. They were given a self-administered
questionnaire after taking verbal consent. Some doctors refused to fill-in the questionnaire while some
others were on leave during the time of study and the remaining 215 doctors responded to the
questionnaire. Results: A total of 215 doctors, (age range 22-59 years) responded to the questionnaire.
Amongst them 11.6% had not received even a single dose of Hepatitis B vaccine while 14.4% had not
completed the required course of vaccination. Most common reason cited by doctors for nonimmunisation was that they had not thought about it. Consultants were more likely of the other doctors
to have received completed vaccination (83.9% versus 69.9%) (p<0.05). They were also significantly
more likely to know their antibody titre after completing vaccination. Needle stick injuries were
common. One hundred and forty-five doctors in the study admitted having received at least one needle
prick/sharp injury. Of them, 51.6% had received a needle prick/sharp injury more than once.
Conclusion: Despite the availability of an effective vaccine in the market doctors continue to remain
non-vaccinated. It is the lack of awareness and carelessness on part of doctors coupled with the
negligence of the risk that has led them being incompletely vaccinated. There is a need to ensure that
every doctor is completely vaccinated against Hepatitis B before he/she enters professional practice.
Keywords: vaccination, Hepatitis B, medical staff, professional hazard, needle prick injury

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Published

2010-06-01

How to Cite

Usmani, R. A., Rana, M. S., Wazir, M. S., Sarwer, H., Fazli, H., Pervaiz, M. A., … Sajjad, R. (2010). ASSESSMENT OF HEPATITIS B VACCINATION STATUS IN DOCTORS OF SERVICES HOSPITAL, LAHORE. Journal of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad, 22(2), 36–39. Retrieved from https://jamc.ayubmed.edu.pk/jamc/index.php/jamc/article/view/2939

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 2 (2010): JOURNAL OF AYUB MEDICAL COLLEGE, ABBOTTABAD

Section

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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