Tip of the week: Working in healthcare can be risky business
Infection Control Weekly Monitor, November 26, 2008
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If you needed further evidence of the importance of healthcare workers protecting themselves against bloodborne infections, take a look at a new CDC study.
The study, published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, shows that healthcare workers are more likely to die from bloodborne infections and related illnesses than any other occupation.
During a 20-year period from 1984-2004, the study used the National Occupational Mortality Surveillance system to track the link between healthcare employment and death from HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, liver cancer, and cirrhosis. However, Researchers said they could not determine how much of the increased rate is due to occupational exposure and how much is due to infections not contracted on the job.
Being a male nurse more than doubles your chance of death from HIV, and nearly doubles hepatitis B mortality, according to Reuters. Female healthcare workers on the other hand, were 31% less likely to die from HIV than women working in other occupations. For the full article, click here.
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