Biomaterial Database

Successful control of hepatitis B surface antigenemia in a dialysis unit without geographic or machine isolation. 1981

V S Ostrower, and M D Lifschitz, and P C Craven, and D M Williams

Persistent hepatitis B infections among patients and frequent new hepatitis B infections among both patients and staff were a major problem in our dialysis unit during its first two and one-half years of operation. During this time the mean quarterly rate of conversion to HBsAg positivity among patients ranged from 0-60% (mean 12%); in staff it ranged from 0-13%. Control efforts, including strict temporal isolation, improved sanitary measures, and use of parallel plate dialyzers without geographic or machine isolation, were begun late in 1976. After a four-month lag, new HBsAg conversions ceased among the 30 patients and staff at risk, despite continued dialysis of eight HBsAg-positive patients (at least four of whom were HBeAg-positive). Over the succeeding three years the conversion rate was zero in both patients and staff. This experience suggests that conservative control measures without geographic separation of patients may be sufficient to control an established outbreak of hemodialysis-related hepatitis B. Controlled prospective trials of this hypothesis are warranted.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010356	Patient Isolation	The segregation of patients with communicable or other diseases for a specified time. Isolation may be strict, in which movement and social contacts are limited; modified, where an effort to control specified aspects of care is made in order to prevent cross infection; or reverse, where the patient is secluded in a controlled or germ-free environment in order to protect him or her from cross infection.	Home Isolation,Isolation, Home,Isolation, Patient,Negative Pressure Isolation,Negative Pressure Patient Isolation
D003428	Cross Infection	Any infection which a patient contracts in a health-care institution.	Hospital Infections,Nosocomial Infections,Health Care Associated Infection,Health Care Associated Infections,Healthcare Associated Infections,Infection, Cross,Infections, Hospital,Infections, Nosocomial,Cross Infections,Healthcare Associated Infection,Hospital Infection,Infection, Healthcare Associated,Infection, Hospital,Infection, Nosocomial,Infections, Cross,Infections, Healthcare Associated,Nosocomial Infection
D006436	Hemodialysis Units, Hospital	Hospital units in which care is provided the hemodialysis patient. This includes hemodialysis centers in hospitals.	Hospital Hemodialysis Units,Renal Dialysis Units, Hospital,Hemodialysis Unit, Hospital,Hospital Hemodialysis Unit,Unit, Hospital Hemodialysis,Units, Hospital Hemodialysis
D006509	Hepatitis B	INFLAMMATION of the LIVER in humans caused by a member of the ORTHOHEPADNAVIRUS genus, HEPATITIS B VIRUS. It is primarily transmitted by parenteral exposure, such as transfusion of contaminated blood or blood products, but can also be transmitted via sexual or intimate personal contact.	Hepatitis B Virus Infection
D006514	Hepatitis B Surface Antigens	Those hepatitis B antigens found on the surface of the Dane particle and on the 20 nm spherical and tubular particles. Several subspecificities of the surface antigen are known. These were formerly called the Australia antigen.	Australia Antigen,HBsAg,Hepatitis B Surface Antigen,Antigen, Australia
D006746	Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over	The number of beds 500 or more which a hospital has been designed and constructed to contain. It may also refer to the number of beds set up and staffed for use.	Hospital Bed Capacity 500 Over
D006757	Hospital Units	Those areas of the hospital organization not considered departments which provide specialized patient care. They include various hospital special care wards.	Hospital Unit,Unit, Hospital,Units, Hospital
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013781	Texas	State bounded on the north by Oklahoma, on the east by Arkansas and Louisiana, on the south by Mexico, and on the west by New Mexico.