title: Transmission of hepatitis C virus by occupational percutaneous injuries in South Korea.
abstract: Korea is an endemic area of hepatitis. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections caused by occupational percutaneous injuries are a serious problem for healthcare workers and there has been a gradual increase in the number of HCV infections. We therefore determined the transmission rate of HCV after occupational percutaneous injury. This was a retrospective cohort study reviewing all occupational blood exposure reports made between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2008, at a university-affiliated acute care hospital. Over the 5-year study period, there were 1,516 accidents of occupational exposure to blood; of these, 327 (21.6%) were to the blood of HCV-infected patients and 3 (0.9%) healthcare workers became infected with HCV (95% CI 0.6-8.8). In Korea, although the bloodborne accidents leading to exposure to HCV occurred frequently (21.6%), the transmission rate was very low (0.92%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Ulsan University College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Mok
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ryoo
authors.forename: Won Young
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Won
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyoung Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Christopher C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jun Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Woo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries*