OT ACCIDENTS
WHAT IS HEPATITIS B (SERUM HEPATITIS)?
How does it occur in OT?
This is one of the most infective viruses.
- It may be transmitted from patient to patient by as little as 0.0001 ml. of infected blood.
- The virus remains active, for up to 6 months in dried blood, consequently instruments which have been poorly cleaned or disinfected, may be responsible for infecting other patients, whilst poor surgical technique, may result in the doctor becoming infected from the patient, or vice versa thru a needle prick.
- It has been estimated that there are possibly 200 million carriers of hepatitis in the world, representing up to 20% of the population in African, Pacific, and other tropical countries, and 0.5% of the population in Northern Europe. The current prevalence in the population is from 1-15.8%
- Thus, statistically the doctor or nurse has a 1 in 200 chance of treating a hepatitis B carrier.
- If the doctor becomes accidentally infected with the hepatitis B virus, not only may the disease develop, but the doctor may become a hepatitis B carrier, and is an unacceptable risk to patients and may have to give up surgery.
The transmission role in case of needle stick is 6 to 37%.
Any questions be sent to drmmkapur@gmail.com
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