title: The seroprevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus in patients undergoing septoplasty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Worldwide, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus are major health problems. Healthcare workers are at risk of transmitting blood-borne viruses, and surgeons have a higher risk of exposure to blood and higher rates of percutaneous injury than other healthcare workers. Septoplasty is among the 3 most commonly performed otolaryngological surgeries worldwide.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the seroprevalence of Hepatitis B surface antigen, Hepatitis C virus antibody, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus antibody in patients undergoing septoplasty with and without turbinate surgery under general anesthesia, and to determine if preoperative testing should be performed in such patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective cross-sectional study included 3731 patients that underwent septoplasty with and without turbinate surgery between January 2005 and July 2015. HBsAg, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV seropositivity in the patients was evaluated retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of the patients was 36 years (range: 11-81 years). In all, 117 (3.6%) patients were positive for HBsAg, 12 (0.3%) were positive for anti-HCV, and 7 (0.2%) were positive for anti-HIV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Education of healthcare workers combined with routine preoperative serological testing in patients undergoing septoplasty under general and local anesthesia are needed to increase awareness of hepatitis B and C, and HIV infection among healthcare workers and patients in order to decrease the transmission rate.
authors.affiliation: Istanbul Education and Research Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: oonerci@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Onerci Celebi
authors.affiliation: Istanbul Education and Research Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Araz Server
authors.affiliation: Istanbul Education and Research Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bahtiyar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamit
authors.affiliation: Istanbul Education and Research Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özgür
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Yiğit
keywords: HBV; HCV; HIV; Septoplastia; Septoplasty; Seroprevalance; Soroprevalência