Zia Ullah, Arshad K Butt, Amber Malik, Tafazzule Haque Muhamud, Azeem Taj, Nadir Zafar Khan, Waqar Ahmad.
Hepatitis B vaccination in patients with chronic Hepatitis C: A pilot study of knowledge, attitude and practice.
Proceeding Shaikh Zayed Postgrad Med Inst Jan ;15(2):57-60.

Hepatitis B is a potentially lethal disease, caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The virus infects people of all ages and every year, about 200,000 people are newly, infected in the United States. Interferon alpha and lamivudine are the only available treatment modalities for Hepatitis B with variable results. Plus prevention of hepatitis B has become an important component of medical therapy. Persons who respond to the vaccine are protected from both acute and chronic hepatitis B infections Although public health initiatives designed to prevent hepatitis B are in place, they seem to be underutilized and their utility has not been evaluated. The development of a Comprehensive approach using public health initiatives in conjunction with strategies by health care providers is important because of the potential for decreasing the human and health care costs associated with hepatic dysfunction. The main aim of our study was to see knowledge, its application and actual approach of treating physicians, gastroenterologists and hepatologists towards various aspect is of vaccination of Hepatitis B in Chronic Hepatitis C patients. This pilot study was conducted in various departments of Shaikh Zayed Hospital. Lahore. II addressed some of the important aspects pertaining to knowledge, attitude and practice of Hepatitis B vaccination. 46 doctors were enrolled from various grades and specialties. Ninety eight percent of the interviewed doctors thought that hepatitis B is a preventable disease and more than 93% were vaccinated against it. Thirty eight doctors (83%) had family members with hepatitis B vaccination. Only minority of doctors (9/46 i.e. 20%) gave advise to their OPD patients about hepatitis B vaccination. and even lesser numbers of doctors (7/46 i.e 15%) actually asked their hepatitis C patients about hepatitis B vaccination. This low response rate suggests that the initiatives to prevent hepatitis B are underutilized.

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