Publication:

Awareness about hepatitis-B, among the nurses of Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS), Srinagar – a tertiary care hospital: a cross sectional study

Background Health care workers (HCWs) represent high risk population for viral hepatitis infection. This study sought to assess the knowledge of HCWs of Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital regarding hepatitis B infection.

Methods In this hospital based cross-sectional study, 104 HCWs (nurses) from Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital, Srinagar were invited to participate in the study and after taking informed written consent were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire.

Results A total of 104 HCWs responded to the study. Majority of the study subjects had satisfactory knowledge about hepatitis B viral infection. Majority (>80%) of respondents had adequate knowledge about the nature of disease. Regarding transmission and prevention 100% of respondents agreed to the fact that blood transfusion had a role in spread of hepatitis B and that it can be prevented by vaccines.

Conclusions More than half (about 51.9 percent) of study subjects were not vaccinated for hepatitis B infection despite of being aware about the spread through needle stick injury. Appropriate educational and health promotion programmes should be implemented to increase the level of preventive practices on hepatitis B among the HCWs.