Screening hospital patients for hepatitis B surface antigen.

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.