Description of an HIV patient notification exercise in Essex involving a dental healthcare worker.
During 2000, one of the Consultants in Communicable Disease Control (CsCDC) for North Essex Health Authority was advised that a healthcare worker (HCW) in dentistry had recently been diagnosed as HIV positive. As a result of the HCW's history and taking account the Guidance on HIV infected healthcare workers of the United Kingdom Expert Advisory Group on AIDS, North and South Essex Health Authorities embarked on the largest patient notification exercise in the United Kingdom, to date. This involved an examination of 36,000 patient records and resulted in the identification of 5,929 exposed patients. Of these 5,929 patients, 3,825 contacted the health authority helpline and 3,096 were counselled and screened for evidence of HIV infection. All tests were negative. This was also the first patient notification exercise to use salivary samples for patient screening. The exercise cost in excess of 300,000 Pounds, ignoring the opportunity costs of staff having to devote time to the exercise.
Irwin
D J
DJ
Essex Health Protection Team, Essex Health Authority, Collingwood Road, Witham, Essex CM8 2TT. david.irwin@ne-ha.nthames.nhs.uk
Millership
S
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D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D003797:Dental Staff; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D017757:Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient; D008297:Male