 Study reveals inconsistent testing for hepatitis B virus
Renal patients on dialysis are regularly tested to make sure their immunization for the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is adequate. If their immunization level is low they are given booster shots.
In a study published in July 2008 by the American Journal of Kidney Disease, a BC team of researchers led by nephrologist Dr. Monica Beaulieu looked at how often BC renal patients on dialysis were re-tested for HBV immunization. The study revealed significant differences in the frequency of HBV testing among renal units across the province and between hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.
Comparing actual testing frequencies in BC with the recommended frequency the study found that half of BC’s dialysis patients were tested according to the recommended frequency, while 13 percent of patients were tested less and 37 percent more than the recommended frequency. Patients with current or past HBV infection were tested more than recommended, and hemodialysis patients were more likely than PD patients to be tested more than recommended.
"Although we found guidelines were being used in clinics around the province, there wasn’t one standard set of guidelines followed by everyone," says Monica.
The study concludes that following recommended practices for HBV retesting would ensure appropriate follow-up care and could save the health care system money by reducing the amount of unnecessary retesting.
As an extension of this study, best practices in HBV testing were identified and a standard set of guidelines was developed for clinical use across the province. Further related work includes a follow-up study to see whether the new guidelines are being consistently used, says Monica.
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