Reliability of the medical history in identifying patients likely to place dentists at an increased hepatitis risk.

Blood was sampled for all new patients entering a dental school clinic to determine the presumed carrier prevalence in such a population. In a second portion of the study, serologic testing was completed for 140 patients who had a history of hepatitis infection or exposure to hepatitis, or who otherwise were part of a group likely to have a high incidence of hepatitis. The results from the test were compared with the information given by the patients.