Clinical Summary of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation
This document is a summary of the 2009 recommendation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task force on screening for Hepatitis B infection in pregnancy. It is intended for use by primary care clinicians. This summary was first published in Annals of Internal Medicine in June 2009 (Ann Intern Med 2009;150:871; http://www.annals.org).
| Population |
All Pregnant Women |
| Recommendation |
Screen at the first prenatal visit. |
| Grade: A |
| Screening Tests |
Serologic identification of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).
Reported sensitivity and specificity are greater than 98%.
|
| Timing of Screening |
Order HBsAg testing at the first prenatal visit.
Re-screen women with unknown HBsAg status or new or continuing risk factors
at admission to hospital, birth center, or other delivery setting. |
| Interventions |
Administer hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immune globulin to HBV-exposed infants within 12 hours of birth.
Refer women who test positive for counseling and medical management.
Counseling should include information about how to prevent transmission to sexual partners and household contacts.
Reassure patients that breastfeeding is safe for infants who receive appropriate prophylaxis.
|
| Implementation |
Establish systems for timely transfer of maternal HBsAg test results to the labor and delivery and newborn medical records. |
| Relevant USPSTF Recommendations |
USPSTF recommendations on the screening of pregnant women for other infections, including asymptomatic bacteriuria, bacterial vaginosis, chlamydia, HIV, and syphilis, can be found at http://www.preventiveservices.ahrq.gov. |
For a summary of the evidence systematically reviewed in making these recommendations, the full recommendation statement, and supporting documents, please go to http://www.preventiveservices.ahrq.gov.
Disclaimer: Recommendations made by the USPSTF are independent of the U.S. government. They should not be construed as an official position of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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Copyright and Source Information
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AHRQ Publication No. 09-05134-EF-2
Current as of June 2009
Internet Citation:
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Infection in Pregnancy: Clinical Summary of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation. AHRQ Publication No. 09-05134-EF-2, June 2009. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf09/hepb/hepbpgsum.htm
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