Tuberculosis morbidity risk in medical nurses in specialized institutions for the treatment of lung diseases in Zagreb.
METHODS
Specialized institutions for the treatment of lung diseases in Zagreb, Croatia.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the risk of TB disease among medical nurses.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort analysis.


RESULTS
It was found that the incidence rate was 6 to 17 times greater among medical nurses employed in institutions in which there was regular exposure to patients with TB. The tuberculosis incidence rate in Croatia among all women aged 20-49 was 48 per 100,000 in 1987. The cumulative incidence was 5 to 12 times greater among nurses of this age range working at high-exposure institutions; relative tuberculosis morbidity risk for medical nurses, if employed in the chest services studied, was up to 17 times higher (95% CI 5.3-58.0).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the study showed that tuberculosis morbidity risk among medical nurses employed in specialized institutions for lung disease treatment in Zagreb, expressed by relative risk for age group 20-49, was up to 17 times higher than among medical nurses in the control institutions.
Babus
V
V
A. Stampar School of Public Health, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
D000328:Adult; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006782:Hospitals, Special / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012306:Risk; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission