TY - JOUR AU - Naz, Rida AU - Ullah, Farman AU - Muhammad, Taj AU - Khan, Obidullah AU - Shah, Faridullah AU - Rehman, Aziz u AU - Basir, Noor Ul PY - 2023/02/28 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Incidence of Hepatitis B Due to Multiple Transfusions in Patients of β-Thalassemia Major: Incidence of Hepatitis B in Patients of β-Thalassemia Major JF - Pakistan Journal of Health Sciences JA - PJHS VL - 4 IS - 02 SE - Original Article DO - 10.54393/pjhs.v4i02.558 UR - https://thejas.com.pk/index.php/pjhs/article/view/558 SP - 86-90 AB - <p>β-Thalassemia is one of the most prevalent childhood hemolytic disorders. Multiple blood transfusions of unscreened blood can result in infection transmission. After many transfusions, Hepatitis B infection in thalassemia patients was reported. <strong>Objective: </strong>To determine the incidence of Hepatitis B in β-thalassemia major patients, associated with multiple blood transfusion strategies. <strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study was executed in Pediatric department of DHQ teaching hospital Dera Ismail khan with the collaboration of the Regional Blood center, and comprised 360 patients, diagnosed with β-Thalassemia Major and maintained on multiple transfusions. <strong>Results: </strong>The average weight of the subjects was 43.50<u>+</u>18.76 Kg and their mean age was 13.10<u>+</u>2.1 years. The significantly high population of the patients (p&lt;0.05) was not immunized against Hepatitis B (73.88%), while only 26.66% (94/360) were immunized. The patients having less than 10, 11-20 and more than 20 transfusions per annum comprised 72 (20%), 157 (43.61%) and 131 (36.38%) patients, respectively. The affected patients had significantly altered hematological parameters (p&lt;0.05). The highest number of β-Thalassemia Major patients affected with Hepatitis B belonged to the Group having more than 25 transfusions of blood annually, with an incidence rate of 11.53. <strong>Conclusions: </strong>The greatest risk factor for Hepatitis B infection in β-thalassemia major patients is concluded to be multiple blood transfusions. It was also found that a huge population of Thalassemia patients was not immunized against HBV despite the severe risk. Therefore, health education and awareness campaigns are needed for the significance of Hepatitis B immunization and transfusion of screened blood.</p> ER -