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Abstract
Background: Association between hepatitis B
infection and chronic kidney disease is multifactorial. Hepatitis B infection has calamitous effects
on health of dialysis patients as compared to general
population and this study is conducted to determine
the proportion of non-vaccinated patients who
became HBV positive within 7 years of initiation of
haemodialysis and also to determine frequencies of
various risk factors of Hepatitis B in these patients.
Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study
was conducted at three tertiary care hospitals of
Rawalpindi from May-September 2016. The study
participants were 65 known cases of chronic kidney
failure undergoing haemodialysis on regular basis
who were confirmed to be HBV negative at the start
of dialysis or within 6 months of initiation of
dialysis. All the relevant information was taken from
the records as well as by interviewing the patients
and recorded in the structured checklist. Data was
then analysed in SPSS and prevalence of HBV and
associated risk factors were determined in these
patients.
Results: Out of 65 patients, only 1 patient (1.5%)
had become HBV positive whereas remaining 64
(98.5%) had remained HBV negative. The duration in
months in this patient to become HBV positive was
32 months. Smoking 14 (21.53%), Diabetes 16
(24.61%), Hypertension 11 (16.92%) and Blood
transfusion 15 (23.07%) were the common risk
factors observed in all patients while the only risk
factor present in HBV positive patient was
hypertension.
Conclusion: Prevalence of Hepatitis B in nonvaccinated, haemodialysis patients was observed to
be low while the common risk factors of Hepatitis B
infection observed in dialysis patients were
diabetes, hypertension and blood transfusions.
Key Words: Chronic kidney failure, Hepatitis B,
Haemodialysis.