We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Dried blood spot testing in infants at risk of hepatitis B.
- Authors
Olley, Matthew; Keel, Philip; Mandal, Sema
- Abstract
The dried blood spot (DBS) is a national, free-of-charge testing service that has been validated by Public Health England (PHE) to increase the testing of at-risk infants born to hepatitis B-positive mothers at 12 months of age in primary care. Infants born to hepatitis B-positive mothers are at the greatest individual risk of infection at the time of birth, with up to 88% of those born to high-risk (HBsAg and HBeAg+) mothers becoming infected with the virus. Even with a complete course of post-exposure immunisations, approximately 5% of these infants will develop chronic, asymptomatic infection. Therefore, the importance of testing at 12 months is fundamental, to allow for assessment and specialist management at the earliest opportunity. However, the proportion of infants being tested is sub-optimal, with dificulties in obtaining venous blood samples in primary care settings being reported as a major reason for poor uptake of testing.
- Subjects
UNITED Kingdom; VERTICAL transmission (Communicable diseases); BLOOD testing; HEPATITIS B vaccines; HEPATITIS B; NEWBORN screening; HEALTH policy; PRIMARY health care; CHILDREN; DIAGNOSIS; PREVENTION
- Publication
Gastrointestinal Nursing, 2015, Vol 13, Issue Sup9, pS22
- ISSN
1479-5248
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.12968/gasn.2015.13.Sup5.S22