background & objectives: hepatitis b is one of the major health problems in the world. health care workers (hcws) are at high risk of acquiring hepatitis b virus. the aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of hbv infection and the immune response to hbv vaccine among the hcws in babol, northern iran. methods: this study was accomplished on 527 hcws and administrative staff working...

This study was undertaken to determine differences in microflora on the nails of health care workers (HCWs) wearing artificial nails compared with control HCWs with native nails and to assess the effect on these microflora of hand cleansing with antimicrobial soap or alcohol-based gel. Cultures were obtained from 21 HCWs wearing artificial nails and 20 control HCWs before and after using antimi...

BACKGROUND Occupational skin diseases, including allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), irritant contact dermatitis, and allergic contact urticaria (ACU), occur commonly among health care workers (HCWs). PURPOSE To evaluate the aetiology of the various skin diseases afflicting HCWs evaluated for suspicion of ACD and/or ACU and to identify the most common allergens among HCWs found to have ACD and...

BACKGROUND Tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) are both recommended for routine screening of healthcare workers (HCWs) in low tuberculosis (TB)-burden countries. More recently, based on scarce data, the World Health Organization strongly recommended that IGRA should not be used for occupational screening in high-burden settings. OBJECTIVE To assess the preva...

Background: South Africa is one of the countries in the world with a high burden of tuberculosis (TB). High rates of unfavourable treatment outcomes have remained a feature of TB control in the country. The objective of the current study was to examine the treatment outcomes of TB among health care workers (HCWs) at a rural general hospital in the Mpumalanga province of the country, as well as ...

BACKGROUND PostExposure Prophylaxis (PEP) is widely used after exposures to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) to reduce the risk of infection in the healthcare setting. Few data are available on the safety and tolerability of Anti Retro Viral drugs (ARV) among Health Care Workers (HCWs) who are prescribed prophylaxis. OBJECTIVE To collect information about the safety and compliance of taking...

Background & Aims of the Study: The Sharp Injuries (SIs) are a percutaneous piercing wound caused by a sharp instrument. Needle Sticks and Sharp Injuries (NSSIs) can increase the incidence of cases of Hepatitis B, C and HIV. The purpose of this study was to Investigation of the relative frequency of NSSIs in healthcare workers (HCWs) in Ahvaz, Iran (Razi hospital) over 3-year p...

Active immunization is an important concern for health care workers (HCWs) susceptible subjects and potential sources of infection for patients. However, the vaccine coverage for vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) is below recommended standards. The aims of the study were to estimate the hospitals' HCWs' susceptibility and vaccination coverage rates for VPDs and to analyze the role of HCWs' at...

Construction of new BioSafety Level (BSL) 3 and 4 laboratories has raised concerns regarding provision of care to exposed workers because of healthcare worker (HCW) unfamiliarity with precautions required. When the National Institutes of Health began construction of a new BSL-4 laboratory in Hamilton, Montana, USA, in 2005, they contracted with St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Montana, for car...