title: Management of infections in hospital employees.
abstract: Hospital employees are often exposed to infectious diseases, both within and outside of the hospital. Susceptible personnel are at risk of acquiring infection and are a possible source of infection for patients, other employees and members of their households. In recent years epidemics in hospitals due to rubella, pertussis, hepatitis B and Legionnaires' disease have included infection transmitted to and from personnel. A comprehensive plan for management of hospital personnel exposed to communicable diseases should include the following: (1) protocols for the management of each of the common infectious diseases; (2) protocols for employees who are at special risk (pregnant women) and employees who work in areas of risk for certain infectious diseases (newborn nursery, clinical and pathology laboratories, hemodialysis unit); (3) assessment of infectious disease experience of new employees by history, skin test (tuberculosis) and serology (rubella, hepatitis B), and a plan for subsequent tests during employment; (4) continuous program of education of employees in infection control; and (5) coordination of policies among administration, employee health service and infection control officer and committee.
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D011247:Pregnancy; D012306:Risk; D012409:Rubella / Q000517:prevention & control