Prevalence of Hepatitis B virus surface Antigen (Hbsag) in patients undergoing extraction at the University College Hospital, Ibadan

Abstract

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection and its sequelae (liver chirrhosis and hepatic carcinoma) are endemic in Africa. The risk of transmission of the infection during dental treatment is real. This study was carried out to determine the rate of Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAg) as a marker of hepatitis B virus infection in patients undergoing dental extraction in order to highlight the potential risk of nosocomial transmission among the Dental Health Worker (DHW) and their patients. Three hundred (143 males and 157 females) consecutive patients requirng dental extraction who volunteered were enrolled into this study. Their ages ranged from 11 years to 95 years with a mean of 37.2years (SD=16.725) and a median of 36 years. The overall HBsAg infection rate was 18.3% (55/300). A higher infection rate (23.1%) occured among the males patients compared with 14% in females (p=0.0086). The high rate of HBV infection found among this study population suggests that Dental Surgeons in this environment have a high risk of exposure to hepatitis B virus and should be immunized at the beginning of their professional life. Universal biosafety measures should be observed strictly in all invasive procedures.