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Rationale against Preoperative Screening for HIV in Polish Hospitals: A Prevalence Study of Anti-HIV in Contrast to Anti-Hepatitis C Virus and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Maria Gańczak*
Affiliation:
Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Public Health, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
Zbigniew Szych
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science and Education Quality Research, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
*
Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Public Health, Pomeranian Medical University, Zolnierska 48, 70-210 Szczecin, Poland ([email protected])

Abstract

We describe the prevalence of anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV) among a sample of 1,652 surgical and gynecologic patients in Polish hospitals, contrasting it with the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) to assess the rationale for preoperative testing. No anti-HIV-positive samples were found; the prevalence of anti-HCV was 0.9%, slightly higher than the prevalence of HBsAg of 0.6%. Universal preoperative screening of hospital patients for HIV is currently not warranted according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. However, the seroprevalence of HIV should be reassessed periodically.

Type
Concise Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2009

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