Lack of transmission of hepatitis B after surgical exposure
J. D. Meyers, W. E. Stamm, M. M. Kerr and G. W. Counts
An orthopedic surgeon in whom hepatitis B subsequently developed
participated in operations on 49 patients in the two months preceding his
illness. Thirty of these patients were available for subsequent clinical
and serologic follow-up: five had positive reactions for antibody to
hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) and one had a positive reaction for
hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) at the initial examination an average
of 77 days after surgery. No new patients had either clinical or serologic
evidence of hepatitis B during four months of subsequent follow-up (mean of
6.7 months after surgery). A control group of 56 orthopedic patients had a
25% prevalence of positive reactions for anti-HBs and negative reactions
for HBsAg- this was not significantly different from the exposed group. The
risk to patients of acquiring hepatitis B after surgical exposure in this
setting from a surgeon is low.
