Screening Hospital Patients for Hepatitis B Surface Antigen

Abstract

Linnemann, Calvin C., Jr., Hegg, Marion E., Ramundo, Nancy, and Schiff, Gilbert M.: Screening hospital patients for hepatitis B surface antigen. Am J Clin Pathol 67: 257–259, 1977. A survey of adult patients admitted to a general hospital showed that 1.5% had hepatitis B surface antigen in the blood and 22% had hepatitis antibody. The majority of patients with hepatitis B did not have clinical hepatitis and would not have been recognized without screening all hospital admissions for hepatitis B antigen. The question of routine screening is discussed in relation to the risk of acquiring hepatitis.