Muhammad Umer, Ferhat Abbas, Muhammad Shafee, Abdul Rauf, Najeeb Ullah, Muhammad Naeem, Ghazalla Siddique, Amir Muhammad.
Pre-Operative Surgical Patients; Serological Screening Of Hepatiits B, Its Knowledge And Attitudes In Quetta, Pakistan.
Professional Med J Jan ;24(8):1120-5.

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate sero-prevalence of HBs Ag (Hepatitis-B surface antigen), its knowledge and attitudes in preoperative general surgery patients in Quetta, Pakistan. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out (April - September, 2016) and was screened in Balochistan Lab Brewery Road, Quetta. Methodology: 1000 preoperative patients from four ethnic groups predominantly present in surgical department of multiple hospitals of Quetta. Serum was subjected to chromatography immunoassay (ICT) and samples were reconfirmed through Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Demographical data, knowledge and attitudes were also collected using valid predesigned questionnaire. Results : Overall, prevalence 7.0% were observed with highest in Baloch population, 10.3 %, followed by Hazara community, 8.0 %, While Pashtoon were with 5.7 % and Panjabi population with 2.3 %. Statistically non-significant difference was observed in males and female population (P < 0.05). 03 of the patients were false negative with ICT when reconfirmed by ELISA. Overall, population show poor knowledge and attitudes in preoperative surgery patients toward Hepatitis B infection. Conclusion: The HBs Ag determination using rapid Immunochromatography device test should only be used for mass scale screening and results may be verified with ELISA to eliminate the chances of false negative cases.

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