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Jun 6, 2017Article Details
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Main Article Content
Underreporting and overreporting of hepatitis B at a tertiary hospital
Abstract
Objective. To assess the level of underreporting and overreporting of hepatitis B infection at a tertiary hospital.
Design. Retrospective record review.
Setting. King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban.
Main outcome measures. Hepatitis B notification was assessed. Underreporting was ascertained on the basis of the proportion of hepatitis B-positive laboratory results that were not notified. Overreporting was indicated by duplication of notifications and the reporting of patients who have not tested positive for hepatitis B.
Results. 83.7% (95% confidence interval 79.4 - 88.0%) of patients with hepatitis B virus infection were not reported. no hospital outpatients were reported and 6% (95% confidence interval 0 - 12.6%) of the reported hepatitis B cases were not hepatitis B.
Conclusion. Underreporting of hepatitis B virus infection is the result of an inadequate notification system at a health institution level. A new, user-friendly system of surveillance that actively monitors the reporting rate is recommended to improve the reporting rate and thus generates useful information.
