More than 60,000 patients have been tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C over the past decade as a result of outbreaks occurring in non-hospital healthcare facilities, primarily because caregivers outside hospitals fail to follow basic infection control practices, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a study appearing in the Jan. 6 issue of the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
The CDC’s review of outbreak reports filed between 1998 and 2008 identified 33 outbreaks in 15 states occurring outside of hospitals. Twelve outbreaks occurred in outpatient clinics, six in hemodialysis centers and 15 in long-term care facilities, notes the study. All told, says the CDC, 450 people acquired HBV or HCV infections.
According to the study, reused syringes and blood-contaminated medications, equipment and devices are common factors in each outbreak. The CDC says the study’s findings underscore the need for ongoing education and oversight in preventing bloodborne pathogens in health care.
"More and more patients in the United States receive their health care in outpatient settings," says Denise Cardo, MD, director of the CDC′s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, in a statement. "To protect patients, infection control training, professional oversight, licensing, innovative engineering controls and public awareness are needed in these healthcare settings."
—Daniel Cook
