[Virus hepatitis B in hemodialysis wards: ways of distribution and possibilities of their interruption (author's transl)].

An attempt was made to describe differentiated problems in connection with virus hepatitis B in hemodialysis wards in a form as brief and precise as possible and to present some suggestions as to the elimination of this insidious disease. A through consideration of the hepatitis question yielding to a well established and legally sanctioned prevention concept would not only be of great importance to hemodialysis patients and their family members and the dialyses personnel but it would also play a great role for the protection of the general population. Finally, a statement by Baruch Blumberg (Nobel Price winner in Medicine, 1976) should visualize the universal importance of the hepatitis question once more: "If we succeeded in bringing hepatitis B under control, this would bring about a reduction of the rate of chronic liver diseases and of primary liver carcinoma."