Occupational Risks in Danish Clinical Chemical Laboratories II. Infections

Abstract

An inquiry study on the occurrence of occupational infections in clinical chemical laboratories showed that viral hepatitis remains a hazard. Within 59 laboratories 30 clinical cases occurred during 1968–73 (2.3 per year per 1000 employees). Attack rates were highest in laboratory technicians and dishwashers. 93 % of the cases were hepatitis type B as judged from hepatitis B-antigen determination. All cases but one had direct contact with patient-blood. In one-third of these, exposure to known infectious material was recorded. On the basis of these observations some prophylactic precautions are reviewed.

Key Words:

• Hepatitis
• hepatitis B-antigen
• occupational infections
• safety precautions