Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2000. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Chirurg. 2000 Apr;71(4):389-95. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/20299644
Hasselhorn HM; Hofmann F; Lehrstuhl fur Arbeitsphysiologie, Arbeitsmedizin und; Infektionsschutz, Bergische Universitat/Gesamthochschule,; Wuppertal. hans-martin.hasselhorn@arbmed.uni-wuppertal.de
Abstract: This report analyzes 46 cases of personnel-to-patient transmissions of hepatitis B (HB), hepatitis C (HC) and HIV in health care settings. Similar circumstances were found for transmission of HB (40 cases, 404 infected patients), HC (4 cases, 224 infected patients) and HIV (2 cases, 7 infected patients). Cases with the highest number of transmissions (one anesthesiologist with 217 HC transmissions, and one EEG technologist with 75 HB transmissions) were attributed to poor infection control practices. As long as infected health care workers (HCW) adhere to general infection control measures, a risk for transmission to patients exists only from infected surgeons who perform 'exposure-prone invasive procedures'. Whether changes in duties of infected HCW are necessary should be decided on an individual basis. Often, the infected personnel were assumed to have acquired the disease occupationally. Medical practices and devices bearing a risk of infection should constantly be reviewed with regard to risk for patients and personnel.
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