Hepatitis B in two Italian General Hospitals

A study to evaluate the extent of Hepatitis B among Hospital Staff in two hospitals in central Italy, blood tested 1212 individuals (80.2% of the staff). 33.7% of staff tested was positive to at least 1 marker of prior B hepatitis infection. The study confirms that B hepatitis is an occupational hazard for those exposed to blood. Specific risks in terms of odds ratios are estimated to be about 2.0 for professional nurse compared to other nursing categories, about 1.7 for staff in high risk departments compared to low risk departments and about 5.0 for professional nurses in high risk departments compared to clerks or nurses aides in low risk departments. The computation of attributable risk indicates that working in a hospital contributes only a minor fraction of the total national burden of this disease. However, immunization of hospital workers in Italy can prevent every year as many as 6,500 new Hepatitis B infections in this high risk group.