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Occupational Medicine 2004;54:231-237
Occupational Medicine, Vol. 54 No. 4 © Society of Occupational Medicine; all rights reserved

Management of hepatitis B immunizations and blood exposure incidents in primary care

N. A. L. Smith

Occupational Health Department, Airedale General Hospital, Skipton Road, Steeton, Nr Keighley, West Yorkshire BD20 6TD, UK.

Aim

To investigate how well primary care health care workers, with no access to an occupational health service (OHS), have managed their hepatitis B immunizations and blood exposure incidents, compared with National Health Service Trust staff, with access to an OHS.

Method

A questionnaire was sent to 78 general practitioners (GPs), 93 general practice nurses, 81 NHS Trust consultants and 88 NHS Trust community nurses, in the Airedale area of West Yorkshire in June 2001.

Results

The response rate was 80%. GPs were significantly less likely than consultants to have received a hepatitis B booster vaccination after their primary course (57 versus 80%, P < 0.009) and significantly less likely to have had their blood anti-HBs test checked after their last vaccination (74 versus 94%, P < 0.011). General practice nurses were significantly less likely to fill in a blood exposure incident form after an injury than community nurses (56 versus 91%, P < 0.006). Overall, the group with access to an OHS was significantly more likely to have received a hepatitis B booster (P < 0.036), have had a blood anti-HBs test after last vaccination (P < 0.010) and to have filled in a blood exposure incident form after last blood exposure (P < 0.033), than the group without access to an OHS.

Conclusion

Any future OHS with responsibility for primary care, should consider calling in all GPs and general practice nurses for a review of their hepatitis immunity and for education regarding the management of blood exposure incidents.

Keywords      Blood exposure incidents; doctors; general practitioners; health care workers; hepatitis B; National Health Service; nurses; occupational health service; primary health care

Received       27 November 2002
Revised         15 September 2003
Accepted       27 January 2004

Correspondence to: Dr N.A.L. Smith, Occupational Health Department, Airedale General Hospital, Skipton Road, Steeton, Nr Keighley, West Yorkshire BD20 6TD, UK. Tel: +44 1535 294 402; fax: +44 1535 657 296; e-mail: nsmith2{at}bradford.nhs.uk


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