TY - JOUR
T1 - An assessment of universal versus risk-based hepatitis C virus testing of source patients postexposure to blood and body fluids among healthcare workers
AU - Tao, Xuguang
AU - Bernacki, Edward J.
AU - Jankosky, Christopher
AU - Means, Carolyn
PY - 2006/5/1
Y1 - 2006/5/1
N2 - Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of universal versus risk-based hepatitis C (HCV) testing of source patients' (SPs) postexposure to blood and body fluids on the HCV exposure rates among healthcare workers. Methods: Exposure and test result information between 1993 and 2004 was abstracted from the Johns Hopkins Bloodborne Pathogen Database. A Poisson regression model estimating HCV infection among underlying SPs based on partial testing was developed and applied. Results: After adjusting for the effect of partial testing of SPs, the estimated underlying prevalence of HCV-positive SPs increased slightly during the study period, from 11.9% to 15.1%, but the trend was not statistically significant. Yield curve of HCV-positive SPs rose quickly when SPs' testing rates were low but became flat when SPs' testing rates were high. Conclusion: Reliance on HCV risk factors to screen SPs resulted in an underestimation of the prevalence of HCV in SPs before 1997 when the testing rates were between 15.4% and 25.6%. When SPs' testing rates were above 65%, our model predicted no additional yield of HCV-positive SPs.
AB - Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of universal versus risk-based hepatitis C (HCV) testing of source patients' (SPs) postexposure to blood and body fluids on the HCV exposure rates among healthcare workers. Methods: Exposure and test result information between 1993 and 2004 was abstracted from the Johns Hopkins Bloodborne Pathogen Database. A Poisson regression model estimating HCV infection among underlying SPs based on partial testing was developed and applied. Results: After adjusting for the effect of partial testing of SPs, the estimated underlying prevalence of HCV-positive SPs increased slightly during the study period, from 11.9% to 15.1%, but the trend was not statistically significant. Yield curve of HCV-positive SPs rose quickly when SPs' testing rates were low but became flat when SPs' testing rates were high. Conclusion: Reliance on HCV risk factors to screen SPs resulted in an underestimation of the prevalence of HCV in SPs before 1997 when the testing rates were between 15.4% and 25.6%. When SPs' testing rates were above 65%, our model predicted no additional yield of HCV-positive SPs.
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U2 - 10.1097/01.jom.0000201837.01639.ce
DO - 10.1097/01.jom.0000201837.01639.ce
M3 - Article
C2 - 16688003
AN - SCOPUS:33646832376
SN - 1076-2752
VL - 48
SP - 470
EP - 477
JO - Journal of occupational and environmental medicine
JF - Journal of occupational and environmental medicine
IS - 5
ER -