Risk of tuberculous infection among healthcare workers in a tertiary-care hospital in Ankara, Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
To determine risk factors for tuberculin skin test (TST) positivity among healthcare workers (HCWs).


METHODS
Two-step TST was performed in 2002.


METHODS
Tertiary-care hospital in Ankara, Turkey.


METHODS
A sample of 491 hospital HCWs were included. Information related to demographics, profession, work duration, department, and individual and family history of tuberculosis (TB) was obtained by a structured questionnaire.


RESULTS
Four hundred eight (83%) had two-step TST positivity. On multivariate analysis, male physicians (relative risk [RR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI95], 1.23-1.69; P = .001), nurses (RR, 1.5; CI95, 1.29-1.66; P = .005), radiology technicians (RR, 1.7; CI95, 1.35-1.73; P = .002), laboratory technicians (RR, 1.6; CI95, 1.3-1.74; P = .007), and male housekeepers (RR, 1.6; (HCWs). CI95, 1.38-1.7; P < .001) had a higher risk than did female physicians. Among laboratory technicians, radiology technicians had the highest TST positivity (85%). HCWs working for less than 1 year (RR, 0.8; CI95, 0.72-0.98; P = .027) had a lower risk of infection. The HCWs having bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination (RR, 1.12; CI95, 1.08-1.45) had higher TST positivity.


CONCLUSIONS
Male physicians, nurses, and laboratory technicians had increased risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in this setting, but community exposure likely accounted for most infections.
Keskiner
Ramazan
R
Infectious Disease Department, Ankara Numume Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Ergönül
Onder
O
Demiroglu
Ziya
Z
Eren
Sebnem
S
Baykam
Nurcan
N
Dokuzoguz
Basak
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003428:Cross Infection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology / Q000635:transmission*; D014421:Turkey