Abstract
Chapter 2 sets the stage for why occupational exposure to infectious diseases in health care is an important public health issue. Since there are hundreds of microorganisms that can cause illness or infection in humans (pathogenic organisms), this chapter describes the highest prevalence organisms that affect healthcare personnel. It provides a list and discussion for what microorganisms are most likely to cause occupational illness or infection in the working population. It also exposes the reader to provocative information about the healthcare environment, and vectors including contaminated hands, patient care items (e.g., blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes), medical devices (e.g., IV infusion connectors, endoscopes, surgical instruments), and contaminated surfaces or textiles (e.g., uniforms, lab coats, sinks, toilets, bedrails, etc.).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
AIDSVu. (2016). Rates of people living with HIV, 2016. https://map.aidsvu.org/map
Albrich, W. C., & Harbarth, S. (2008). Health-care workers: Source, vector, or victim of MRSA? The Lancet Infectious Diseases., 8(5), 289–301.
American Public Health Association (APHA). (2015, November). Preventing occupational transmission of globally emerging infectious disease threats. Policy Statement.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2018). Employment by major industry sector, 2018. https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/employment-by-major-industry-sector.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2019). Healthcare occupations, 2019. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm
CDC. (2013). Hepatitis C. Testing Baby Boomers Saves Lives.
CDC. (2014). Surveillance for Viral Hepatitis – United States, 2014. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2014surveillance/commentary.htm
CDC. (2016, May). Recommended vaccines for healthcare workers. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/hcw.html
CDC. (2016a). HIV Surveillance Report.
CDC. (2017). ACIP Vaccine Recommendations and Guidelines.
CDC. (2018). Measles cases and outbreaks. https://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html
CDC. (2019a, May). Tuberculosis infection control in health care settings. https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/infectioncontrol/default.htm
CDC. (2019b). Tuberculosis testing and treatment of US health care personnel. https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/images/multimedia/tb/HCP-TB-recommendations-highres.jpg
CDC. Public health economic burden associated with two single measles case investigations — Colorado, 2016–2017. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6646a3.htm?s_cid=mm6646a3_e
Dan, E. (2016). Institute of Medicine expert committee assessing feasibility of viral hepatitis elimination targets in the U.S. HCV Advocate. http://hepatitisc.hcvadvocate.org/tag/cdc
Department of Veterans Affairs. (2018). What is AIDS?
HepVu. (2016). Rates of people living with hepatitis C, 2016. https://hepvu.org/map/
Miller, L. (2015). Colorado department of public health and environment. Measles Update. https://www.childrensimmunization.org/uploads/Measles-Miller-Trefren-Provider-Ed-April-2015.pdf
Orellana, R., et al. (2016). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Ohio EMS providers: A statewide cross-sectional study. Prehospital Emergency Care, 20(2), 184.
Pyrek, K. (2018, July). PPE donning and doffing reveals gaps in knowledge and practice. Infection Control Today.
Schwartzkopf, R., et al. (2010). Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus colonization in orthopaedic surgeons and their patients a prospective cohort controlled study. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 92(9), 1815–1819.
Stevenson, K., et al. (2012, October). Reduction of MRSA colonization in EMS personnel and equipment to prevent secondary injury in Ohio trauma patients. Ohio Division of EMS Injury Prevention Research Grant.
Suen, L. K. P., et al. (2018). Self-contamination during doffing of personal protective equipment by healthcare workers to prevent Ebola transmission. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 7, 157.
Tomas, M., et al. (2015). Contamination of health care personnel during removal of personal protective equipment. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(12), 1904–1910.
University of Texas at Austin. (2017). Nine habits for a highly effective disaster recovery. https://news.utexas.edu/2017/11/03/nine-habits-for-a-highly-effective-disaster-recovery
Wells, W. F. (1934). On Air-borne infection. Study II. Droplets and droplet nuclei. Stokes’ Mathematical and Physical Papers, 1^01, 3, 60.
WHO. (2017). Tuberculosis. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs104/en/
World Health Organization (WHO). (n.d.). Flooding and communicable diseases fact sheet. http://www.who.int/hac/techguidance/ems/flood_cds/en/
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mitchell, A.H. (2020). Public Health Significance. In: Preventing Occupational Exposures to Infectious Disease in Health Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56039-3_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56039-3_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-56038-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-56039-3
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)