Medizinische Universität Graz Austria/Österreich - Forschungsportal - Medical University of Graz
Gewählte Publikation:
Rossmann, A.
Prevention strategies of occupational hepatitis C transmission in the health care setting
[ Diplomarbeit/Master Thesis ] Graz Medical University; 2009. pp. 49
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- Autor*innen der Med Uni Graz:
- Betreuer*innen:
- Kessler Harald
- Altmetrics:
- Abstract:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents a substantial risk to both, health care workers and patients. More than 200 cases of health care worker-to-patient transmission of HCV have been reported in scientific publications; it is thus of major importance to detect health care workers with HCV infection and to establish regulations how to deal with infected individuals working in specific health care settings. Currently, there are no consistent recommendations, regulations or guidelines concerning detection of HCV infected health care workers and efficient prevention of health care worker-to-patient transmission of HCV. Questions arising include: Should health care workers be screened or tested individually on HCV infection and what kind of assay(s) should be used? When and how often should health care workers be tested? How should the health care worker with HCV infection be managed? Based on these questions, this diploma thesis reviews existing recommendations, regulations, and guidelines concerning this matter. Furthermore, recommendations how to better handle with this problem are developed and suggestions useful for establishing a future common regulatory framework are provided. This work which is part of the research area "Sustainable Health Research" of the Medical University of Graz will be published in a modified version in the Journal of Clinical Virology (Health care worker-to-patient transmission of hepatitis C virus in the health care setting: many questions and few answers, 2009, in press).