Deaths due to bloodborne infections and their sequelae among health-care workers.
BACKGROUND
The odds of dying from bloodborne infections among health-care workers has not been well studied.


METHODS
Using data from the National Occupational Mortality Surveillance (NOMS) system, a matched case-control design was employed to examine the relationship between health-care employment and death from HIV, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV; non-A/non-B viral hepatitis), liver cancer, and cirrhosis from 1984 to 2004. We examined the whole health-care industry and specific health-care occupations.


RESULTS
From 1984 to 2004, NOMS captured 248,550 deaths from bloodborne pathogens and their sequelae. Employment in the health-care industry was associated with increased risk of death from HIV (MOR = 2.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.11-2.44), HBV (MOR = 1.98; CI = 1.58-2.48), and cirrhosis (MOR = 1.09; CI = 1.04-1.15) among males, and death from HCV among both males (MOR = 1.46; CI = 1.22-1.75) and females (MOR = 1.22; CI = 1.05-1.40). Nursing was the occupation with the highest MORs among males for HIV and HBV, but female nurses were at decreased risk of dying from HIV (MOR = 0.69; CI = 0.57-0.83).


CONCLUSIONS
Employment in the health-care industry was found to be associated with deaths from several bloodborne pathogens and their sequelae among males, but only with HCV among females from 1984 to 2004 in this exploratory study.
Luckhaupt
Sara E
SE
Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. sluckhaupt@cdc.gov
Calvert
Geoffrey M
GM
D044383:Black People; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003644:Death Certificates; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000401:mortality*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000401:mortality*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000401:mortality; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American