Tuberculosis among health care workers in a Brazilian tertiary hospital emergency unit

Am J Emerg Med. 2008 Sep;26(7):796-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2007.10.022.

Abstract

The Brazilian emergency system is being reorganized as a hierarchy in the region of Ribeirão Preto, state of São Paulo. We found increased occupational risk for tuberculosis in this region tertiary reference center--a nurse technician (Incidence rate [IR] 526.3/100,000 inhabitants) had a risk of tuberculosis 12.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.57-37.23) greater than the city population (41.8/100,000 inhabitants). The system reorganization will have to make the centers adequate to deal with this problem.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Delivery of Health Care / organization & administration*
  • Emergency Nursing*
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / statistics & numerical data*
  • Risk Factors
  • Tuberculosis / epidemiology
  • Tuberculosis / mortality
  • Tuberculosis / transmission*