Tuberculosis among health care workers

To assess the annual risk for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among health care workers (HCWs), the incidence rate ratio for tuberculosis (TB) among HCWs worldwide, and the population-attributable fraction of TB to exposure of HCWs in their work settings, we reviewed the literature. Stratified...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEmerging infectious diseases Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 488 - 494
Main Authors Baussano, Iacopo, Nunn, Paul, Williams, Brian, Pivetta, Emanuele, Bugiani, Massimiliano, Scano, Fabio
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.03.2011
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Subjects
CME
Health aspects
Health care industry
health care workers
Health Personnel - statistics & numerical data
Humans
Incidence
Infection Control
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional
Latent Tuberculosis - epidemiology
Latent Tuberculosis - microbiology
Latent Tuberculosis - transmission
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
Occupational Diseases - epidemiology
Occupational Diseases - microbiology
Risk Factors
systematic review
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis - epidemiology
Tuberculosis - microbiology
Tuberculosis - transmission
Tuberculosis and other mycobacteria
Workers
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Summary:To assess the annual risk for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among health care workers (HCWs), the incidence rate ratio for tuberculosis (TB) among HCWs worldwide, and the population-attributable fraction of TB to exposure of HCWs in their work settings, we reviewed the literature. Stratified pooled estimates for the LTBI rate for countries with low (<50 cases/100,000 population), intermediate (50-100/100,000 population), and high (>100/100,000 population) TB incidence were 3.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.0%-4.6%), 6.9% (95% CI 3.4%-10.3%), and 8.4% (95% CI 2.7%-14.0%), respectively. For TB, estimated incident rate ratios were 2.4 (95% CI 1.2-3.6), 2.4 (95% CI 1.0-3.8), and 3.7 (95% CI 2.9-4.5), respectively. Median estimated population-attributable fraction for TB was as high as 0.4%. HCWs are at higher than average risk for TB. Sound TB infection control measures should be implemented in all health care facilities with patients suspected of having infectious TB.
ISSN:1080-6040
1080-6059
DOI:10.3201/eid1703.100947