Background and Aim: Hepatitis B and C are widespread global health issues that are rapidly spreading in developing countries due to ineffective preventive measures.Undiagnosed hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viral infections in hospitalized patients and outdoor attendees must be addressed in order to obtain a more accurate picture of HBV and HCV prevalence.The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of HBV and HCV in patients admitted to the orthopedic department.

Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study of 1080 patients admitted to the department of orthopedics at Ayub Medical Teaching Institute Abbottabad and Orthopaedics department of DHQ Hospital Thimergara Dir lower for duration of six months fromSeptember 2019 to February 2020.The study included patients of both sex and all ages who were undergoing surgery. Venous blood was drawn from 1080 people and tested for infection using ELISA.All patients were screened for Hepatitis B and C, and positive patients were confirmed using the Elisa method.

Results:Out of 1080 patients, 756 (70%) were male and 324 (30%) were female. Hepatitis B and C were found in 86 (8%) of the patients. Out of 86 infected patients, 49 (4.53 %t) had hepatitis C and 37 (3.42 %) had hepatitis B. The prevalence of both hepatitis B and C infections were 4 (0.37 %) of the patients. Of the 49 hepatitis C patients, 32 (65.3%) were male and 17 (34.7%) were female. Thirty-one (83.8 %) of the 37 hepatitis B patients were male, while six (16.21 %) were female.The prevalence of risk factors were history of blood transfusion 14 (16.27 %) patients, Previous history of surgery 17 (19.8 %), dental procedure 6 (7.00 %), and abroad visit in 5 (5.81 %) patients.

Conclusion:Hepatitis B and C are common in orthopedic patients, with the following risk factors: prior history of surgery or blood transfusion. To prevent the transmission of HBV and HCV to others, a routinely screened procedure should be followed on a regular basis.

Keywords:Prevalence, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Orthopedic patients.