The Importance of Hepatitis B Antigen Screening in Pregnancy
- Perino, Jeanne MSN, APRN, NNP
- Adams, Christine N. BSN
About the Authors
Jeanne Perino, MSN, APRN, NNP, is a neonatal nurse practitioner at Children’s Hospital of Illinois at Saint Francis Medical Center and has worked in a Level IV NICU for 35 years.
Christine N. Adams, BSN, is a nurse at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. She is currently attending Old Dominion University.
For further information, please contact:
Jeanne Perino, MSN, APRN, NNP
Children’s Hospital of Illinois at Saint Francis Medical Center
530 NE Glen Oak Ave.
Peoria, Illinois
USA
E-mail: [email protected]
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The test questions are provided in this issue. The posttest and evaluation must be completed online. Details to complete the course are provided online at academyonline. org. Sign into your ANN account or register for a non-member account if you are not a member. A total of 1.3 contact hour(s) can be earned as CNE credit for reading this article, studying the content, and completing the online posttest and evaluation. To be successful, the learner must obtain a grade of at least 80 percent on the test. The test expires three (3) years from the publication date of this journal. Disclosures: The members of the activity planning committee and the test panel have no relevant financial interests or affiliations with any commercial interests related to the subjects discussed within this article. No commercial support or sponsorship was provided for this educational activity. Neither ANN nor ANCC endorses any commercial products discussed/displayed in conjunction with this educational activity.
The Academy of Neonatal Nursing is accredited with distinction as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Provider, Academy of Neonatal Nursing, approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CEP 6261; and Florida Board of Nursing, Provider #FBN 3218, CE Broker # 50-3066.
The purpose of this column is to discuss the pathophysiology of hepatitis B, the screening process, and prophylaxis for the neonate.
Column Editor: Jeanne Perino Jeanne Perino and Christine N. Adams have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Funding. The authors received no specific grant or financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Accepted for publication June 16, 2020
Abstract
In the United States, pregnant women are screened for hepatitis B antigen because of the significant risk of perinatal vertical transmission of hepatitis to the fetus. It is important that the maternal hepatitis B antigen screen is documented in the medical record to ensure appropriate prophylaxis for the neonate. The purpose of this column is to discuss the pathophysiology of hepatitis B, as well as the screening process and prophylaxis for the neonate.