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Bloodborne pathogen exposure risk for non-hospital based healthcare workers.

Gershon RRM; Qureshi KA; Gurney CA; Rosen JD; Hogan EK

Clin Occup Environ Med 2002 Aug; 2(3):497-518

20025962

There are approximately 11 million healthcare workers (HCWs) in the United States, and these workers comprise the largest occupational group in the nation. Half of HCWs are employed in a nonhospital-based setting. Although the occupational risk for exposure to blood-borne pathogens has been well documented for the hospital-based workforce, little information is available for nonhospital-based HCWs. This article examines specific exposure risk factors, prevalence rates of blood-borne pathogen disease. and potential preventive strategies and risk management controls for the nonhospital-based HCW workforce. The authors' findings indicate that serious gaps remain in the understanding of the risk for these workers. including whether there are differences in the characteristics of work performed by the various occupational groups. More information is needed to identify the specific risks and exposure rates of this population of HCWs.

Nurses; Health-care-personnel; Health-care-facilities; Health-care; Epidemiology; Statistical-analysis; Bloodborne-pathogens; Demographic-characteristics; Medical-personnel; Medical-facilities

Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 600 W 168th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10032

COEMDB

20020801

Journal Article

974819

Cooperative Agreement

2002

Cooperative-Agreement-Number-U01-OH-004269

3

1526-0046

Disease and Injury: Infectious Diseases

Clinics in Occupational and Environmental Medicine

NY

Columbia University Health Sciences, New York, New York