title: Perioperative Occupational Exposure toCoxiella burnetii-Infected Thoracic Endovascular Aneurysm Stent Graft.
abstract: We conducted this study to determine the risk of transmission of Q fever to health care workers (HCWs) during perioperative exposure toCoxiella burnetii-infected thoracic endovascular aneurysm stent graft. Pre-operative and 6-week post-operative phase I and II IgG Q fever antibody titers were determined in 14 staff members of an operation room. The room had a negative pressure and all the members of the surgical team wore either a fitted N-95 mask or a powered purified air respirator. Phase I and II IgG antibody titers were <1:16 for 11 of the 14 studied HCWs; 2 HCWs did not follow up at 6 weeks and 1 had a pre-exposure phase II IgG titer of 1:128 with no change 6 weeks later. We concluded that risk of transmission ofC. burnetiiin the operating room from infected patient to HCWs who wore appropriate personal protective equipment is low.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Health Department/Internal Medicine Department, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA. adebisi.obafemi@utsouthwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Adebisi Idowu
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Obafemi
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Section, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Jade
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Le
mesh_terms: D000783:Aneurysm / Q000601:surgery; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D059035:Perioperative Period; D011778:Q Fever / Q000601:surgery / Q000635:transmission*; D015607:Stents / Q000382:microbiology*; D013781:Texas
keywords: Coxiella burnetii; Health personnel; Infection control; Operating rooms; Personal protective equipment; Q fever; Stents