AI Summary & Key Takeaways
AI InsightFor thispurpose, although it was observed in our study that the preoperative HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HCV and anti-HIV seroprevalence werenot higher than those in the population were, all health care workers should be trained in occupational diseases, vaccinated andfollowed up at regular intervals.
📌 3 Key Takeaways
Abstract
Aim: Health care workers especially dentists are at risk due to the fact that they are in direct contact with the blood and body fluids.In the present study, it was aimed to determine the preoperative seropositivity of HBsAG, anti-HBs, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV in thepatients undergoing dental surgical procedure under local anesthesia.Material and Methods: 1598 patients who were admitted to Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery between 2017-2018 andunderwent surgical intervention for various reasons were included. Demographic data and serum samples taken preoperativelyfrom patients were retrospectively evaluated in terms of HBsAg, Anti-HBs, Anti-HCV and Anti-HIV seropositivity by using archiverecords. Furthermore, the vocational and educational status of the HBsAg (+) patients in addition their awareness about hepatitiswere investigated.Results: Of the 1598 patients, 591 (37%) were males; 1007 (63%) were females. The total number of patients with HBV carriers was73 (4.6%), the number of anti-HBs-positive patients was 828 (51.8%), and the number of anti-HCV-positive patients was 3 (0.19%).Anti-HIV positivity has been observed in none of the patients. When evaluated according to the age ranges, HBsAg was mostlydetected positive in the age ranges of 21-30 and 30-40; when evaluated according to sex, HBsAg was detected higher in women.Conclusions: Knowing the prevalence of infectious diseases is highly important for both the prevention and early diagnosis ofthese diseases. Besides, knowing the seropositivity of these diseases before surgical interventions will facilitate for both oral andmaxillofacial surgeons and other health care personnel to take necessary safety precautions against disease transmission. For thispurpose, although it was observed in our study that the preoperative HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HCV and anti-HIV seroprevalence werenot higher than those in the population were, all health care workers should be trained in occupational diseases, vaccinated andfollowed up at regular intervals.