1. Screening hospital patients for hepatitis B surface antigen.
- Author
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Linnemann CC Jr, Hegg ME, Ramundo N, and Schiff GM
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Antibodies, Viral analysis, Female, Hepatitis B transmission, Hospitals, General, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Transfusion Reaction, Hepatitis B diagnosis, Hepatitis B Surface Antigens analysis, Hospitalization
- Abstract
A survey of adult patients admitted to a general hospital showed that 1.5% had hepatitis B surface antigen in the blood and 22% had hepatitis antibody. The majority of patients with hepatitis B did not have clinical hepatitis and would not have been recognized without screening all hospital admissions for hepatitis B antigen. The question of routine screening is discussed in relation to the risk of acquiring hepatitis.
- Published
- 1977
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