OVER 400 heart surgery patients at the Mater Hospital are to be tested for hepatitis B after being operated on by a doctor who has tested positive for the virus.
The doctor, who was a member of the hospital's cardiac surgery team, was discovered to have hepatitis B following a routine blood test.
The hospital has admitted there is a risk to some patients of contracting the virus, which can cause liver failure in a small percentage of cases.
A spokeswoman for the hospital, Dr Rosemary Hone, a consultant microbiologist and infection control officer, said it is unlikely that anybody will develop the virus. However, there is a risk that "a very low figure" could do so. It is not know how long the doctor has been hepatitis B positive.
"Patients should not be unnecessarily worried because really it is a precautionary measure. It is in their interest that we are doing it. We expect only a tiny amount might have picked it up," she said.
Dr Hone said the doctor was a registrar and a junior member of the cardiac surgery team and would not have had a major role in surgery.
"The junior assistant would be involved in the more minor capacity of suturing and mopping up. He would have assisted in minor things," she said. He rotated between the teams of the five cardiac surgeons at the hospital.
The hospital has implemented a "look back" programme to contact the patients who have had heart surgery since February when the doctor began working there. Before this appointment he had worked as a supernumerary (unpaid) at the Blackrock Clinic. The Mater is also co ordinating the screening programme for that hospital.
GPs throughout the State have been contacted with a list of the patients in their area. They were asked to contact the patients, advise them of the situation and carry out a blood test and follow up screening programme.
The hospital became aware that the doctor may be infected on November 20th, after a routine blood test. Two days later the result was confirmed and the doctor stopped work immediately.
According to medical opinion he will never be able to work in this area again, since he will be a carrier of the virus for the rest of his life. He may have no idea how he became infected.
Dr Hone said the hospital is anxious to reassure members of the public who attended the hospital for any other type of operation or procedure that they have absolutely no cause for concern.
Patients who have been contacted in relation to the screening programme are being asked to participate as a precaution only. No patient has presented at the hospital with jaundice or any other symptoms of hepatitis B.
She said a screening programme for patients whose operations the doctor had attended most recently had begun. "This was administered last weekend to the relevant patients who received a preventative accelerated immunoglobulin vaccination and counselling."
Dr Hone said people joining the hospital staff are offered a hepatitis B vaccine but there is no mandatory screening. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said this issue is being considered. Guidelines will be issued which will apply to hepatitis B and new recruits coming into the health service.
Dr Hone said she could not answer any questions about the doctor involved since he is now a patient and it would be a breach of the doctor/patient relationship. She would not specify whether the doctor was Irish or non national.
"I can't say how he came to have the blood test. My understanding is that it was just a routine test," said Dr Hone, adding that all doctors involved in "exposure prone" procedures such as surgery would be conscious that they should have their antibodies checked.
Dr Hone said they hope to have the test results for the 400 patients as soon as possible.
The hospital has established a patients' information line to answer queries. The number is 1800402222.