Infections acquired in clinical laboratories in Utah

Abstract

We reviewed laboratory-acquired infections occurring in Utah from 1978 through 1982. Written and telephone interviews of supervisors of 1,191 laboratorians revealed an estimated annual incidence of 3 laboratory-acquired infections per 1,000 employees. Infections, in order of frequency, included hepatitis B (clinical cases), shigellosis, pharyngitis, cellulitis, tuberculosis (skin test conversion), conjunctivitis, and non-A, non-B hepatitis. One-half of large laboratories (over 25 employees), but only 12% of smaller laboratories, reported infections. The annual incidence, however, at smaller laboratories was more than three times greater than at large laboratories (5.0 versus 1.5 per 1,000; P less than 0.05, chi-square test). Microbiologists were at greatest risk of infection, with an incidence of almost 1%, followed by generalists and phlebotomists. Shigellosis was acquired only by microbiologists and accounted for more than half of their infections. The most common laboratory-acquired infection, hepatitis B, affected a microbiologist, a hematologist, a phlebotomist, a pulmonary blood gas technician, and a blood bank technologist who died from her illness. Clinical cases of hepatitis B occurred at a rate 10 times higher than the rate in the general U.S. population. The incidence of tuberculosis skin test conversion was intermediate between rates reported for hospital employees and for the state of Utah.