The seroprevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus in patients undergoing septoplasty

Publication date: Available online 17 November 2016
Source:Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology
Author(s): Ozlem Onerci Celebi, Ela Araz Server, Bahtiyar Hamit, Özgür Yiğit
IntroductionWorldwide, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus are major health problems. Healthcare workers are at risk of transmitting blood–borne viruses, and surgeons have a higher risk of exposure to blood and higher rates of percutaneous injury than other healthcare workers. Septoplasty is among the 3 most commonly performed otolaryngological surgeries worldwide.ObjectiveTo determine the seroprevalence of HBsAg, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV in patients undergoing septoplasty with and without turbinate surgery under general anesthesia, and to determine if preoperative testing should be performed in such patients.MethodsThis retrospective cross-sectional study included 3731 patients that underwent septoplasty with and without turbinate surgery between January 2005 and July 2015. HBsAg, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV seropositivity in the patients was evaluated retrospectively.ResultsMean age of the patients was 36 years (range: 11–81 years). In all, 117 (3.6%) patients were positive for HBsAg, 12 (0.3%) were positive for anti-HCV, and 7 (0.2%) were positive for anti-HIV.ConclusionsEducation of healthcare workers combined with routine preoperative serological testing in patients undergoing septoplasty under general and local anesthesia are needed to increase awareness of hepatitis B and C, and HIV infection among healthcare workers and patients in order to decrease the transmission rate.



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