Abstract

A retrospective study was carried out among healthcare workers (HCWs) at Dicle University Hospital between 1986 and 2000 for incidence of tuberculosis. The data of HCWs with tuberculosis was collected from hospital management office and hospital records. Totally 22 HCWs with tuberculosis were found in this 15-year period (9 men, 13 women). The mean workforce of the hospital was 733±135 in the study period. The cases comprised four doctors (18.2%), 13 nurses (59.1%) and five paramedics (22.7%). Mean working time of HCWs was 3.5±2.4 year (2.8±1.9 year in doctors, 2.8±2.7 year in nurses, 6.4±4.0 year in paramedics). Zielh-Nelseen stains were shown positive in 13 patients. Beside pulmonary tuberculosis, pleural tuberculosis was found in three patients and tuberculous lymphadenitis in one patient. One patient died. Mean incidence of tuberculosis was 199.9 per 100 000 for all HCWs (relative risk [RR]=4.9), 127.1 per 100 000 in doctors (RR=3.1), 274.4 per100 000 in nurses (RR= 6.7) 160.2 per 100 000 (RR=3.9) in paramedics. The mean incidence of TB in Turkey between 1986 and 2000 was 40.8 per 100 000 populations. The highest risk was found for workers of Departments of Infectious Diseases (RR=14.2), Pulmonary Diseases (RR=10.5) and Cardiology (RR=10.2). As a conclusion, the incidence of tuberculosis among HCWs who have close contact with patients is very high. Effective control programs for tuberculosis to prevent nosocomial transmission should be established in hospitals to reduce risk for HCWs.