title: Frequency of Hepatitis-B and C in patients undergoing cataract surgery in a tertiary care Centre.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the frequency of hepatitis B and C in patients undergoing cataract surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive study was conducted at department of Ophthalmology Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre. The duration of study was seven months from May 2013 to November 2013. After taking informed consent from the patient and hospital ethical committee all patients presenting with cataract and undergoing cataract surgery were evaluated for the existence of hepatitis C and B. Diagnosis of hepatitis C or B was made on the criteria that a patient must be positive for either Anti-HCV or HBsAg or both. Proformas were filled and data was collected and analysis was done. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to calculate the occurrence of hepatitis C and B in general population undergoing cataract surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six hundred and forty-eight patients were operated on for cataract surgery at Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre during the study period. Mean age of patients was 63 years, 300 (46.29%) were male and 348 (53.70%) female. Out of them 57 (8.79%) patients were carriers of either Hepatitis C or B. Hepatitis B accounted for 17 cases (2.62%) however Hepatitis C positive were 40 cases (6.17%). Nobody was simultaneously affected by both hepatitis C and B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant number of asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis C and B were found in preoperative cataract patients. It is recommended that preoperative screening of all cataract patients should be done so that asymptomatic carriers might not become a threat for spread of disease.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Muhammad Ali Tahir, FCPS. Department of Ophthalmology, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tahir
authors.affiliation: Dr. Alyscia Cheema, FCPS, FRCS. Department of Ophthalmology, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Alyscia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cheema
authors.affiliation: Dr. Saifullah Tareen, FCPS. Department of Ophthalmology, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Saifullah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tareen
keywords: Cataract Surgery; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C