Infection Control & Health Care Workers
updated 6/2/97
Proposed Table of Contents for this page
- Current strategies for Infection Control & Employee
Health
- Pre employment health evaluation...in preparation
- Prevention of exposures...in preparation
- Prevention of infection with vaccine use
- Hepatitis B vaccine: an OSHA requirement for employees
with the potential for workplace exposure to blood.
- Hepatitis A vaccine:
- currently recommended for foreign travel but I recommend
it for use in food service workers. It's cheaper than a foodborne outbreak
of hepatitis A.
- Varicella vaccine:
- recommended for adults who are susceptible to varicella.
- In health care workers, consider screening employees
at time of employment for varicella.
- Start with history of varicella. If employee gives
history of chickenpox or zoster, no further intervention is required.
- For employees who say they have not had varicella
or do not know, screen them with varicella antibody.
- Those employees who are varicella antibody negative
should be vaccinated.
- Influenza vaccine
Available now
In preparation:
- Tuberculosis control including what OSHA has to say
about TB
- Infection control and the pregnant health care worker
While this page is being developed, you can visit some
related sites:
The
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
The
Journal Infection Control and Health Care Epidemiology (ICHE)
The
Book: Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control: by Glen Mayhall
MD
I wrote the chapter on nosocomial influenza.
Speaking of flu, MMWR
has issued Recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices for flu season 1997-98 (MMWR
April 25, 1997, vol 46, #RR-9).
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC Foundation