Tuberculin reactivity among health care workers in nonhospital settings.
BACKGROUND
We used workers' compensation data to identify health care workers at risk of tuberculosis exposure in the hospital and nonhospital environment.


METHODS
We identified State Fund workers' compensation claims having a documented tuberculin skin test (TST) conversion (size >or=10 mm) with a previous negative skin test between 1996 and 2000 in the State of Washington.


RESULTS
Health care workers experienced an overall accepted workers' compensation claim rate of 2.3 claims/10,000 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) per year for tuberculin reactivity. Receptionists accounted for the largest number, with 18.4% tuberculin reactivity claims. The number of tuberculin reactivity claims was the highest for offices and clinics of doctors of medicine (3.7 per 10,000 FTEs), followed by medical laboratories (2.6 per 10,000 FTEs).


CONCLUSIONS
This study allowed characterization of employees in various nonhospital health services locations with higher number of tuberculin reactivity.
Shah
Syed M
SM
Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. syed.shah@usask.ca
Ross
Allen G
AG
Chotani
Rashid
R
Arif
Ahmed A
AA
Neudorf
Cordell
C
D000328:Adult; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014374:Tuberculin Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000635:transmission; D014861:Washington; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data