• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.120-127
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• 2009

Purpose: The study aimed at monitoring the immune status of health care workers (HCWs) of a tertiary hospital after accidental exposure to Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Methods: Between January 2004 and December 2006, 353 cases of exposure to Hepatitis B virus were reported. The HBV-exposed HCWs were required to undergo follow-up serum tests to analyze their immune status one year after the exposure. The obtained data were then analyzed to determine the incidence of exposure and of sero-conversion. Results: In this hospital, an average of 9.8 cases of Hepatitis B exposure among HCWs was reported in a month. Follow-up tests conducted after exposure revealed that 90.4% of the HBV-exposed HCWs were positive for Hepatitis B antibody and 66.9% of the HBV-exposed HCWs were reported to have antibody levels exceeding 10 mIU/mL. Results of serum tests for the HBV antigen conducted one year after exposure were negative for all the exposed HCWs. Conclusion: Among the 79.6% of the HCWs who underwent serum tests one year after exposure the HBV sero-conversion rate was 0.0%. However, a further investigation in the form of long-term and multi-center studies is required to confirm this result. Furthermore, an active system should be established to ensure that all exposed HCWs undergo follow-up serum tests.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제79권3호
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• pp.127-133
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• 2016

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most important occupational risks for healthcare workers (HCWs) in South Korea. Many policies regarding the control and prevention of TB in healthcare settings recommend that HCWs are tested for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in addition to active TB. Moreover, the Korean Tuberculosis Prevention Act also recommends that HCWs receive regular testing for LTBI. However, there are no specific or detailed guidelines for dealing with LTBI in HCWs. Herein, we discuss the diagnosis and treatment of LTBI in HCWs and focus particularly on the baseline screening of hired HCWs, routine follow-up, and contact investigation.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• 제33권50호
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• pp.321.1-321.7
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• 2018

Background: Pertussis is highly contagious respiratory disease. Healthcare workers (HCWs) can be an important mediator of the disease. A seroprevalence of pertussis was investigated in HCWs to determine the immune status against pertussis and to detect the unidentified pertussis. Methods: This study was conducted for HCWs at a hospital located in Korea in 2011. After obtaining written informed consent for HCWs voluntarily participating in the study, 10 mL of blood was collected from each subject. Demographic and medical data were collected using questionnaire. Data on the underlying disease and vaccination history were reviewed again through medical records. The presence of anti-pertussis toxin (anti-PT) immunoglobulin G (IgG), and immunoglobulin A (IgA) was detected by quantitative analysis using a commercially available ELISA kit (EUROIMMUN, $L{\ddot{u}}beck$, Germany). Results: A total of 412 HCW participated in the study. Among them, 14 were excluded due to the inadequate sample amount or medical history not secured. Of the 398 HCWs analyzed, 16.6% (66/398) were men and the mean age was $33.82{\pm}9.10years$ (range, 21-67). The mean anti-PT IgG titer was $8.32{\pm}20.40IU/mL$ (range, 0.4-287.5 IU/mL). The overall seroprevalence (rate of anti-PT IgG antibody [Ab] titer > 5 IU/mL) was 33.7%. Three (0.8%) HCWs had the Ab level > 100 IU/mL indicated acute infection. There was no statistically significant difference in the seroprevalence and mean titer of anti-PT IgG Ab according to age group, type of occupation, patient-facing position, or working in the pediatric department. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of pertussis of the HCWs of a university hospital in Korea was low, and there were some unrecognized acute infections. Therefore, booster immunization of pertussis to HCWs should be actively considered.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제81권4호
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• pp.274-280
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• 2018

Background: The risk of tuberculosis (TB) infection among health care workers (HCWs) is higher than as noted among workers in the general population. The prevalence and risk factors of TB infection among HCWs were assessed in a tertiary hospital in South Korea, resulting in a conclusion of an intermediate TB burden within the country. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled HCWs who underwent a QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) test to detect the presence of a latent TB infection (LTBI), in patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in South Korea in 2017. The departments of the hospital were divided into TB-related and TB-unrelated departments, which were based on the risk of exposure to TB patients. In this sense, the risk factors for LTBI, including current working in the TB-related departments, were analyzed. Results: In this case, a total of 499 HCWs (54 doctors, 365 nurses and 80 paramedical personnel) were enrolled in this study. The median age of the subjects was 31 years (range, 20-67 years), 428 (85.8%) were female, and 208 (41.7%) were working in the TB-related departments. The prevalence of LTBI was 15.8% based on the QFT-GIT. Additionally, the prevalence of experience of exposure to pre-treatment TB patents was higher among HCWs working in the TB-related departments, than among HCWs working in the TB-unrelated departments (78.8% vs. 61.9%, p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of LTBI between the two groups (17.3% vs. 14.8%, p=0.458). On a review of the multivariate analysis, only the factor of age was independently associated with an increased risk of LTBI (p=0.006). Conclusion: Broadly speaking, the factor of age was associated with an increased risk of LTBI among the HCWs in South Korea. However, those workers current working in the TB-related departments was not associated with an increased risk of LTBI.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.263-268
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• 2022

Health care workers (HCWs) are more than ten times more likely to be infected with coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) than the general population, thus demonstrating the burden of COVID-19 among HCWs. Factors that expose HCWs to a differentially high-risk of COVID-19 acquisition are important to elucidate, enable appropriate public health interventions to mitigate against high risk and reduce adverse outcomes from the infection. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize and critically analyze the existing evidence on SARS-CoV-2 risk factors among HCWs. With no geographical limitation, we included studies, in any country, that reported (i) the PCR laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19 as an independent variable (ii) one or more COVID-19 risk factors among HCWs with risk estimates (relative risk, odds ratio, or hazard ratio) (iii) original, quantitative study design, and published in English or Mandarian. Our initial search resulted in 470 articles overall, however, only 10 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Out of the 10 studies included in the review, inadequate/lack of protective personal equipment, performing tracheal intubation, and gender were the most common risk factors of COVID-19. Based on the random effects adjusted pooled relative risk, HCWs who reported the use of protective personal equipment were 29% (95% CI: 16% to 41%) less likely to test positive for COVID-19. The study also revealed that HCWs who performed tracheal intubations were 34% (95% CI: 14% to 57%) more likely to test positive for COVID-19. Interestingly, this study showed that female HCWs are at 11% higher risk (RR 1.11 95% CI 1.01-1.21) of COVID-19 than their male counterparts. This article presents initial findings from a living systematic review and meta-analysis, therefore, did not yield many studies; however, it revealed a significant insight into better understanding COVID-19 risk factors among HCWs; insights important for devising preventive strategies that protect them from this infection.

• 디지털산업정보학회논문지
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.1-11
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• 2009

This study presents HCWS algorithm for researcher grouping on a weighted researcher network. The weights represent intensity of connections among researchers based on the number of co-authors and the number of co-authored research papers. To confirm the validity of the proposed technique, this study conducted an experimentation on about 80 research papers. As a consequence, it is proved that HCWS algorithm is able to bring about more realistic clustering compared with HCS algorithm which presents semantic relations among researchers in simple connections. In addition, it is found that HCWS algorithm can address the problems of existing HCS algorithm; researchers are disconnected since their connections are classified as weak even though they are strong, and vise versa. The technique described in this research paper can be applied to efficiently establish social networks of researchers considering relations such as collaboration histories among researchers or to create communities of researchers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제53권4호
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• pp.236-244
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• 2020

Objectives: Although the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative "My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene" has been lauded as effective in preventing hospital-associated infections, little is known about healthcare workers (HCWs)' hand hygiene behavior. In this study, we sought to assess knowledge and attitudes towards the concepts in this initiative, as well as associated factors, among Vietnamese HCWs at a general hospital. Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered to HCWs at a central Vietnamese general hospital in 2015. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with HCWs' knowledge and attitudes towards hand hygiene. Results: Of 120 respondents, 65.8% and 67.5% demonstrated appropriate knowledge and a positive attitude, respectively, regarding all 5 hand hygiene moments. Logistic regression indicated better knowledge of hand hygiene in workers who were over 30 years old, who were direct HCWs (rather than managers), who had frequent access to clinical information, and who received their clinical information from training. Those who worked in infectious and tropical disease wards, who had frequent access to clinical information, and who received information from training were more likely to have a positive attitude towards hand hygiene than their counterparts. Conclusions: Although many Vietnamese HCWs displayed moderate knowledge and positive attitudes towards the WHO hand hygiene guidelines, a key gap remained. Regular education and training programs are needed to increase knowledge and to improve attitudes and practices towards hand hygiene. Furthermore, a combination of multimodal strategies and locally-adapted interventions is needed for sustainable hand hygiene adherence.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.170-178
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• 2019

목적: 인플루엔자 예방접종은 인플루엔자 감염을 예방하고 병원 내 전파를 차단할 수 있는 가장 효과적인 방법이다. 본 연구자들은 국내 병원내 직원들의 인플루엔자 예방 접종률의 현황 및 접종률과 연관된 인자들을 살펴보고자 하였다. 방법: 2017-2018 인플루엔자 시즌 전, 경기도 고양시 내 3개 종합 병원의 인플루엔자 예방접종 캠페인 대상인 병원 직원들이 연구에 포함되었다. 연구대상자의 인구학적인 특성 및 직업적 특성을 후향적으로 수집하였다. 결과: 총 7,180명의 병원내 직원 중 6,994명(97%)이 연구에 포함되었으며 전체 예방 접종률은 85%였다. 의료직종 중에서는 간호직군이 92%로 가장 높았고, 의료기술직군(88%), 의사직군(84%), 비의료직군(79%) 순이었다(P<0.001). 비의료직군에서의 접종률은 환자와의 접촉 정도에 비해 서로 상이하였으며, 환자와 접촉이 빈번한 비의료직군의 접종률은 90%로 덜 빈번한 비의료직군의 73%보다 유의하게 높았다(P<0.001). 결론: 2017-2018 인플루엔자 시즌 병원내 직원의 예방접종률은 85%이었다. 이는 기존의 병원내 직원 대상으로 자발적인 예방접종을 진행하는 여러 국가들의 보고들과 비교했을 때 높은 편에 속한다. 병원내 직원의 특성에 따라 예방 접종률은 서로 상이하며, 병원내 직원의 예방접종률을 보다 높이기 위해서는 이러한 요인들을 포함한 다각적인 접근을 고려해야 한다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제80권1호
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• pp.21-26
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• 2017

It is well established that health care workers (HCWs) have a considerably higher risk of occupationally acquired tuberculosis (TB). To reduce the transmission of TB to HCWs and patients, TB infection control programs should be implemented in health care settings. The first and most important level of all protection and control programs is administrative control. Its goals are to prevent HCWs, other staff, and patients from being exposed to TB, and to reduce the transmission of infection by ensuring rapid diagnosis and treatment of affected individuals. Administrative control measures recommended by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization include prompt identification of people with TB symptoms, isolation of infectious patients, control of the spread of the pathogen, and minimization of time spent in health care facilities. Another key component of measures undertaken is the baseline and serial screening for latent TB infection in HCWs who are at risk of exposure to TB. Although the interferon-gamma release assay has some advantages over the tuberculin skin test, the former has serious limitations, mostly due to its high conversion rate.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.7-13
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• 2015

Purpose: This observational study was aimed to determine the influence of the Hawthorne effect on the adherence to hand hygiene (HH) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in South Korea. Methods: HCWs were monitored in 2 periods regarding adherence to HH when there were indications for HH. In first period, HCWs recognized that their behavior of hand hygiene being observed (overt observation), and did not recognize in second period (covert observation). Results: The overall difference in HH rate between two periods was 45.0% point (77.8% vs 32.8%). There were significant differences between profession but in nurse aids. The differences in HH rate between two periods were 46.1% point in nurses, 29.9% point in physicians, 64.0% in radiologists, 62.5% point in laboratory technicians, 36.4% point in physio-therapist, and 1.0% point in nurse aids. The Hawthorne effect on the adherence to HH lasted more than 3 months. Conclusion: The Hawthorne effect markedly influence on the adherence to HH regardless of profession except nurse aids. Therefore, Hawthorne effect can be useful tool to improve and sustain the adherence to HH among HCWs in South Korea.