title: Screening hospital patients for hepatitis B surface antigen.
abstract: A survey of adult patients admitted to a general hospital showed that 1.5% had hepatitis B surface antigen in the blood and 22% had hepatitis antibody. The majority of patients with hepatitis B did not have clinical hepatitis and would not have been recognized without screening all hospital admissions for hepatitis B antigen. The question of routine screening is discussed in relation to the risk of acquiring hepatitis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens