INVESTIGATION OF FREQUENCY OF HBSAG, ANTI HBS, ANTI HCV AND ANTI HIV IN REFUGEE PATIENTS FROM SYRIA WHO ADMIT TO A TRAINING AND RESEARCH HOSPITAL DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Introduction: Hepatitis B and C and HIV cause severe health problems in worldwide. Controlled and/or unrecorded migrations which have been occurring as a result of Syrian war, leads to death of many people, increase poverty, make dissemination of diseases easier and increase health problems.

Materials and methods: Data of Syrian refugee patients who were being surgical treatment and follow-up in Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital Department of Surgery (General Surgery, urology, gynecologic oncology, orthopedics and intensive care units) and for whom ELISA (HBsAg, Anti-HBs, Anti-HCV and anti-HIV) was performed between January and December 2015 were retrospectively evaluated from computerized records.

Results: Three hundred Syrian refugee patients who were included in the study were evaluated. One hundred fifty six (52%) patients were female and 144 (48%) were male. The most common age distribution range was found between 16-30. One hundred twenty five (41.6%) patients in general surgery, 78 (26%) patients in orthopedics, 55 (18.4%) patients in urology and 42 (14%) patients in gynecological oncology underwent surgery. HBsAg positivity was found in 9 (3%), anti-HCV was found positivity in 7 (2.3%) and anti-HBs positivity was found in 73 ( 26.6%) patients. Anti-HIV positivity was found in none of these patients.

Conclusion: Increasing number of uncontrolled and unrecorded Syrian refugees causes lots of social and health problems. We recommended that is important to know frequency of hepatitis in both refugee and local society. According to our study; hepatitis and HIV screening recommended for Syrian refugees in their medical treatments due to the migration from regions where the disease is widespread. Our data will be beneficial for relevant physicians in terms of provide predictions concerning about follow-up of this patient group which will going on surgical intervention.