Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B and C among Patients Admitted to a Tertiary Hospital

OZET Objectives: To evaluate seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) among patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in southeast Turkey. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of patients admitted to the Diyarbakir Training and Research Hospital during February 2010 and July 2011. The study population consisted of patients who gave blood and tested for HBV and HCV. Data were collected from the database of our hospital. Data were analyzed using SPSS program. Results: A total of 43.131 patients tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were included in this study. 4.472 patients (10.4%) were positive for HBsAg (6.8% male, 3.6% female, p<0.05). 323 (1.2%) of 28.276 patients, who underwent anti-HCV testing, were positive for anti-HCV. 381 (13.1%) of 2.899 HBsAg-positive patients were positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). Conclusion: Although similar to that in the other regions of Turkey, the seroprevalence of hepatitis B is still high. Community awareness about the transmission and prevention of hepatitis B infection should be strengthened by health education. (Viral Hepatitis Journal 2014; 20(3): 120-124)