[Hepatitis B virus vaccination among Polish surgeons from the county of Western Pomerania].

Unlabelled: Orthopaedic surgeons are at risk of acquiring hepatitis B virus, so preventive measures, including the vaccination, are important.

Objective: To determine surgeons" prevention through vaccination against hepatitis B and to access the frequency of "sharps" injuries during surgery.

Methods: An anonymous questionnaire prepared by A. Lowenfels from New York Medical College, USA was distributed between May and July 2001 to 182 members of surgical staff. Twelve hospitals located in the city of Szczecin (4 academic, 4 municipal) as well as located within a 45-mile radius in the county of Western Pomerania, Poland took part.

Results: 9.3% of the surgeons who responded had been infected with hepatitis B virus (group I), 79.7% had been immunised against hepatitis B (group II). The rest 11%, mainly of the age > 47 years, had never been vaccinated nor infected (group III). The median number of puncture injuries was 10 per year and the number of hours spent in the operating room--59 per month. There was no statistically significant difference in the variables such as: sex, surgical status, sub-specialty or type of hospital between the groups.

Conclusions: The coverage with the vaccine should be improved. A lot of surgeons who replied take high risk of percutaneous blood exposure and thus possibility of infection with HBV, but every tenth has never been vaccinated nor infected. The complete information on the risk of hepatitis B and on the safety and efficiency of active immunisation should be supplied not only among medical students, but surgical experienced staff as well.