Hepatitis B In Patients With Thalassemia Major In Tikrit Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Thalassemia   is hereditary   disease  which  have  a significant  risk  of contracting   of blood  — born infections like hepatitis and HIV through the regular episodes of blood transfusions. This study was conducted to evaluate patients with thalassemia and to find out the percentage of hepatitis B infected patients. It was a cross sectional study done in Tikrit Teaching Hospital involved all thalassemia patients , (50) patients. The percentage of hepatitis B among these patients was (10%). Among the seropositive patients, males and females comprised (10%) for each. Patients from urban area were (9.1%) , while those from rural areas were (11.8%). The percentage of non-vaccinated patients with seropositive hepatitis B was (14.3%) compared to the non-vaccinated (6.9%). It was found that when the blood transfusion amount increases the risk of acquiring hepatitis also increases. There were (18.2%) of patients with abnormal liver function test had seropositivity for hepatitis B, and (3.6%) of the same group had normal function test. It was revealed that (16.7%) of the seropositive patients had undergone splenectomy. It is concluded that hepatitis is still a risk among thalassemic patients attending thalassemia center in Tikrit Teaching: Hospital: Therefore it is recommended to ensure a good vaccination for all patients and a regular screening about this infection and to conduct a broader study involving many centers across the country.