What should healthcare workers know about hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that can affect the liver. Contact with infected blood or certain body fluids can occur through needlestick injuries, cuts, splashes to the eyes or mouth, or contact with broken skin. Routine care does not require isolating a patient when appropriate infection-control measures are followed. A person may have no symptoms, while others develop fatigue, nausea, abdominal discomfort, yellowing of the skin or eyes, or dark urine.

Follow hand hygiene and use gloves, eye protection, masks or gowns when the task could expose you to blood or body fluids. Dispose of sharps immediately in a suitable container and never recap a used needle. Hepatitis B vaccination is a key preventive measure; ask an occupational-health service whether your vaccination record and post-vaccination testing are complete. After a puncture, splash or other exposure, wash the area or flush the eyes, report the incident promptly, and seek an exposure assessment. Testing may include a liver function test and blood tests selected for the exposure.

Get same-day occupational-health or medical advice after blood contacts a needlestick wound, mucous membrane or broken skin, even if the injury looks small. Seek medical care promptly for new jaundice, severe vomiting, marked weakness, confusion, or dark urine with worsening illness. Do not wait for symptoms after a workplace exposure because preventive decisions depend on the timing and your immune status.

Ask whether your hepatitis B vaccination course is complete, whether an antibody test is appropriate, and what follow-up is needed after a specific exposure. You can also ask which symptoms should prompt repeat testing and how to protect household contacts.