Læknablaðið - 15.08.1993, Blaðsíða 23

LÆKNABLAÐIÐ
231
sem veikjast af völdum lifrarbólguveiru B
sýkingar vegna fíkniefnanotkunar fái umfram
aðra hvatningu til að fara í meðferð og sé því
um að ræða skekkt úrtak úr hópi sprautufíkla.
Vegna þessarar hröðu aukningar á
lifrarbólguveiru B sýkingum ber að árétta
nauðsyn bólusetningar heilbrigðisstétta
og hugsanlega annarra starfsstétta svo
sem lögreglu. Einnig ber að fhuga hvort
bólusétning sprautufíkla sé möguleg.
Erlendis, bæði vestan hafs og austan, hafa
lifrarbólguveiru B sýkingar verið afar algengar
meðal sprautufíkla og á síðustu árum hefur
eyðniveiran einnig breiðst hratt út í þessum
hópi og má telja víst að svo verði einnig
hérlendis verði ekkert að gert (13).
SUMMARY
During the period of three years from April 1988
to April 1991, there were 85 cases of hepatitis B
infection identified at the Department of Medical
Virology, University of Iceland. The great majority
of these patients were from the age of 15-40 years
and had a history of intravenous drug use. To study
the prevalence of previous hepatitis B infection
the anti HBC marker was nteasured in a group of
1100 individuals of various age. None within 15
years of age tested positive to the anti HBC marker
but its prevalence rose with age to 6.5% at the age
of 64 and higher. The prevalence of the anti HBC
marker was also studied among individuals with
a recent history of intravenous drug use. Of 34
individuals 11 (32%) had the anti HBC marker. It
is clear that hepatitis B infection has spread rapidly
among intravenous drug users in Iceland.
ÞAKKIR
Höfundar vilja þakka Dr. Nikulási Sigfússyni,
yfirlækni Hjartaverndar og Eddu Emilsdóttur
fyrir veitta aðstoð við söfnun sýna, Ralph
Tiedemann og Kristni Tómassyni fyrir
aðstoð við tölfræðiútreikninga og Kristínu M.
Þorvaldsdóttur fyrir tölvuvinnslu.
HEIMILDIR
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