Healthcare workers’ presenteeism causing an outbreak of respiratory infections in a facility for patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities

• Published in: American journal of infection control Vol. 51; no. 4; pp. 420 - 425
• Main Authors: Takayama, Naoki, Sakaki, Haruyo, Shirai, Masahiro, Toyoda, Atsushi, Takayanagi, Hiroko, Takagi, Kazuya, Fujita, Kaoru, Endo, Eiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2023
• Subjects: Disease Outbreaks; Health Personnel; Humans; Intellectual Disability - epidemiology; Long-term care facility; Medical costs; Outbreak; Presenteeism; Respiratory infection; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Outbreak; Respiratory infection; Long-term care facility; Medical costs; Presenteeism
• ISSN: 0196-6553; 1527-3296
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.07.016

•Presenteeism among health- care workers is a source of infectious disease outbreaks.•Such presenteeism threatens the health of hospitalized patients.•It also increases hospital costs.•Controlling presenteeism among healthcare workers is critical.•It will help prevent infectious disease outbreaks. This study aimed to identify the source of infection and medical costs for a respiratory infection outbreak in a facility for patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID). Presenteeism refers to a situation wherein a person continues going to work despite being ill. The cohort included 1 healthcare worker and 17 patients who developed a fever of ≥37.5°C with respiratory symptoms for nearly a month. An outbreak investigation was conducted, which determined the initial case of the outbreak to be a single healthcare worker. We performed a univariate analysis to determine the association of the healthcare worker. From the medical records, we evaluated the costs of addition treatment and laboratory tests for the respiratory infection. The source of infection was a healthcare worker at the facility (Odds ratio, 17.5; 95% confidential interval, 3.0–101.8). The total medical cost for hospitalized patients due to this outbreak was $12,324. The source of a respiratory infection outbreak in a facility for SMID was suggested to be a healthcare worker's presenteeism. The cause of this outbreak was healthcare workers’ presenteeism. To prevent outbreaks, such facilities should address the causative factors.