Review of Hepatitis B for the Clinical Laboratory Scientist

Kate Rittenhouse Diakun, Ph.D.

Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences
State University of New York at Buffalo

September 1997

(Users may earn credits for this talk through September 1999)

Abstract

Even 15 years after the licensure of a vaccine for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis B is still responsible for nearly 40% of the viral hepatitis cases in the United States. The high risk groups for this disease include healthcare professionals as well as IV drug users, blood and blood product recipients and homosexual men. Unlike HIV, Hepatitis B has a high transmission rate, with a needle stick resulting in disease transmission in 6-24% of cases. OSHA has mandated that the employer must provide free Hepatitis B immunizations. Many healthcare workers remain unimmunized, but more remain uncertain of the degree of protection conferred by the immunization that they received. Also of concern is whether and when booster immunizations are required. This presentation presents a background concerning Hepatitis B disease etiology, epidemiology, signs, symptoms, vaccinology, serology and laboratory analysis.

LEVEL: BASIC

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this presentation the participant will be able to do the following:

Differentiate hepatitis types based on clinical symptoms.
Differentiate hepatitis infection pathways based on viral type.
Identify viral particles associated with Hepatitis infections.
List 3 clinical manifestation categories of Hepatitis B infections.
List one effective method to kill the Hepatitis B virus in a serum spill.
Identify global geographic locations for the distribution of Hepatitis B infections.
Identify the serum Hepatitis B antigen which is indicative of infectious properties.

P.A.C.E. Credits and Cost

Succesful completion (by electronic post-quiz) will earn participants 2.0 Contact Hours of P.A.C.E. credit.

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