Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28567193›Full record

ArticleMalawi medical journal : the journal of Medical Association of Malawi2017

Hepatitis B virus seroprevalence among Malawian medical students: A cross-sectional study.

Froid Chipetah, Aaron Chirambo, Ednas Billiat, Isaac Thom Shawa

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Malawi medical journal : the journal of Medical Association of Malawi, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 46% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Froid ChipetahDepartment of Pathology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
Aaron ChiramboDepartment of Pathology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
Ednas BilliatDepartment of Pathology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
Isaac Thom ShawaDepartment of Pathology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
University of Malawi · MW

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatitis B virus (HBV) predominantly spreads through contact with infected blood or other body fluids and causes liver disease. HBV vaccination for students at the College of Medicine, University of Malawi, is done without screening for the virus. It is important to assess the prevalence of HBV antigens among foundation-year students in order to consolidate evidence in support of HBV screening before vaccination. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of HBV antigens among 2013-2014 foundation-year students at the University of Malawi College of Medicine.

methodsA prospective cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 2013-2014 foundation year students at the Malawi College of Medicine. Out of the 234 foundation-year students, written consent was obtained from 89 students. Venous blood samples were collected and tested for HBV surface antigen using SD Bioline immunochromatographic rapid assays.

resultsOut of the 62 (69.7%) male students, none tested HBV-positive, and out of 27 (30.3%) female students, none were seropositive. This suggested the absence of HBsAg among students or presence of HBsAg levels below detectable limits.

conclusionsThis study showed levels of HBsAg below detectable limits among healthy young adults in Malawi. HBV screening for medical students should further be assessed to ensure adequate protection before they are assigned clinical duties. These findings provide enough grounds to agitate for further surveys to support the establishment of a universal HBV immunisation programme in Malawi.

Indexed as

AdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHepatitis BHepatitis B Surface AntigensHepatitis B virusHumansMalawiMalePrevalenceProspective StudiesSeroepidemiologic StudiesStudents, MedicalUniversitiesHepatitis B Surface Antigens

Identifiers

PMID28567193
PMCPMC5442488
OpenAlexW2611837947

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.