CDC NATIONAL AIDS HOTLINE TRAINING BULLETIN #18 - December 7, 1992
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Of the persons reported with AIDS in the United States through September 30, 1992, 8,871 had been employed in health care. These cases represented 4.8% of the 184,163 AIDS cases reported to CDC for whom occupational information was known. The type of job is known for 8,468 (96%) of the 8,871 reported health-care workers with AIDS. The specific occupations are as follows: 243 dental workers, 903 physicians, 66 surgeons, 1,937 nurses, 1,601 health aides, 175 paramedics, 1,242 technicians, and 472 therapists. The remainder are maintenance workers, administrative staff, etc. Overall, 74% of the health-care workers with AIDS, including 660 physicians, 50 surgeons, 186 dental workers, 1,390 nurses, and 120 paramedics, are reported to have died.

Seven health-care workers who did not report other HIV risk factors seroconverted to HIV and developed AIDS after documented occupational exposures to HIV-infected blood. Ninety-four percent of the health-care workers with AIDS reported nonoccupational risks for HIV infection; 6% were classified as having an undetermined risk (most of these are still being investigated).

CDC is aware of 32 health-care workers in the United States who have been documented as having seroconverted to HIV following occupational exposures, including the 7 who have AIDS. These individuals who seroconverted include 12 laboratory workers (11 of whom were clinical laboratory workers), 12 nurses, 4 physicians, and 4 persons in other occupations. The exposures were as follows: percutaneous (puncture/cut) injuries -- 27/32 (84%); mucocutaneous (mucous membrane and/or skin) exposures -- 4/32 (13%); and combined percutaneous and cutaneous exposure -- 1/32 (3%).

CDC is also aware of 69 cases of possible occupationally acquired HIV infection or AIDS among health-care workers who have not reported other risk factors for HIV infection and who report a history of occupational exposure to blood, body fluids, or HIV-infected laboratory material, but for whom seroconversion after exposure was not documented.

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