Hazards analysis, within departments and occupations, for hepatitis B virus among health care workers in Public Teaching Hospitals in Khartoum State; Sudan

• Published in: Global journal of health science 2012-08, Vol.4 (6), p.51-59
• Main Authors: Elmukashfi, Taha Ahmed, Ibrahim, Omer Ali, Elkhidir, Isam Mohamed, Bashir, Abdelgadir Ali, Elkarim, Mohammed Ali Awad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health Personnel - statistics & numerical data; Hepatitis B - epidemiology; Hepatitis B Antibodies; Hospital Departments - statistics & numerical data; Hospitals, Teaching - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; Occupational Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Sudan - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1916-9736; 1916-9744
• DOI: 10.5539/gjhs.v4n6p51

Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) can lead to a range of clinical illnesses. To examine hazards of hepatitis B virus associated with clinical departments and occupations; among health care workers in Public Teaching Hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan. The study was a cross sectional, facility-based study. It was conducted on stratified two-stage cluster random sample of 843 subjects of whom 324 were at high-hazard, 445 at moderate hazard, and 74 at low hazard; depending on degree of exposure to blood and body fluids of patients. To assess hazards of HBV among departments and occupations of HCWs, non-parametric Methods of Chi-square test, was used. For Anti-HBc vulnerable departments was Renal Dialysis (100%); while for occupations was midwives (73.3%). For carrier rate (+ve HBsAg), highest rate found in department of Management (6.8%); while for occupations was Midwives (6.7%). Regarding immunity (+ve Anti-HBs), the highest percentage found in the department of Dentistry (25.9%); while for occupations was associated with Doctors (14.8%). For a profile of high infectivity (+ve HBeAg), the most vulnerable department in terms of HBV hazards was the Surgery (1.4%); while for occupations was nurses (0.9%). There was a significant association for infection rate of HBV with occupation and type of department. The most hazardous departments, was Surgery with a profile of high infectivity rate, followed by other departments (medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry & ophthalmology). As for occupations, the most hazardous group was nurses group with a profile of high infectivity rate.