title: Interruption of hepatitis B transmission by modification of a gynaecologist's surgical technique.
abstract: Between January, 1979, and January, 1980, hepatitis B developed in three women within 6 months of their undergoing gynaecological surgery at a community hospital in Mississippi. Subsequent investigation revealed another case of hepatitis B associated with gynaecological surgery. The gynaecologist who carried out all four operations (gynaecologist A) was a chronic carrier of hepatitis B. Hepatitis B surface antigen subtyping on serum from gynaecologist A and from one of the hepatitis B patients gave identical results. Patients of gynaecologist A who underwent total abdominal hysterectomies or bilateral salpingo-oophorectomies were at a greater risk of acquiring hepatitis B than were patients in whom the same procedures were carried out by a control group of gynaecologists. After gynaecologist A modified his surgical technique and began wearing two pairs of gloves during surgery, there was no further hepatitis B transmission to his surgical patients.
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000175:diagnosis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000601:surgery*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008922:Mississippi; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*