Hepatitis screen in children with malignancy at child’s central teaching hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Transfusion-transmitted infections continue to be a threat to the safety of the blood supply, in particular the risk is high for parenterally transmitted viral hepatitis in pediatric malignancy. The aim was to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis in children with malignancy, identify some variables that could affect the prevalence of hepatitis in these patients, and to have an idea about the effect of vaccination in controlling hepatitis infection. Method: A Cross sectional study of (180) children between the age of [1-15] years with malignancy, in the period seven months, diagnosed and treated in CCTH were studied. Among those children with malignancy, testing for HBV and HCV were done through blood samples taken from the patients and sent to lab. of CCTH. Results: patients were referred from different parts of the country, from (180) patients with malignancy, 48(27%) were HBV positive &33(20%) with HCV positive. History of clinical jaundice was reported in 33 of cases (18%). The no. of blood transfusion had significant impact on prevalence of hepatitis virus infection. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of HBV&HCV infection in patients with malignancy treated in Child's Central Teaching Hospital (CCTH).