Employee Occupational Health Flashcards
Why OHP is important?
- Promotes awareness of occ health hazards to hcp
- regs look for safe hc env
- promotes safe env to give and receive care
Elements of an OHP
1) Educate HCP
2) Partner with IP in monitoring and investigating potentially harmful infectious disease expsures and outbreaks
3) Care and follow-up for work related illnesses, exposures, and injuries
4) ID work related exposure risks and institute preventative measures
5) contain costs by preventing infectious diseases that result in absenteeism and disability
First step to post exposure intervention
Verify the dx of the index case
What is the next question once dx is confirmed?
Is the patient infectious?
If the patient was infectious- what is the next question to address?
Was barrier technique absent or was there a breach in technique that would have lead to expsure?
If there was a breach in technique or barrier technique was absent, what is the next question?
Who was exposed?
For people that were exposed, what is the next question?
Is the individual susceptible?
What to ask if the individual who was exposed is susceptible?
Does the disease have potential for further spread?
If the exposed person is susceptible, but there is no potential for further spread, what next?
Monitor the employee for clinical symotoms
If the exposed HCP is susceptible, and there is potential for futher spread, what next?
Ask if there are therapeutic measures for treatment?
If there are therapeutic measures for the exposed, susceptible employee, what next?
Implement intervention measures
If there are no therapeutic measures for the exposed, susceptible employee, what next?
Monitor employee for clinical symptoms and follow policy for restriction
Source of TB exposure for healthcare personnel
laryngeal and pulmonary Tb
When to educate HCP about TB?
Upon hire
annually
as needed
What should TB education include?
- how it spreads
- signs and symptoms
- preventative measures (including fit testing for N95s)
What specific recommendations and guidance does the CDC provide to help control the spread of TB in HC facilities?
- fit-testing
- dx and treatment for latent TB
- Facility respiratory protection programs
First step to the TB control plan
- Assess an institutions TB risk by performing a TB risk assessment
What does the TB risk assessment include?
- prevalence of recognized and unrecognized TB patients in the facility and the surrounding community
- patterns of TST conversions or positive blood assay for M. tuberculosis in employees (bamt)
What are the risk classifications for TB?
- low risk
- Medium risk
- potential ongoing transmission
How often does a facility need to complete a TB risk assessment?
Annually
When does the CDC recommend testing for TB?
- upon hire
- if there is a suspected exposure
- if there is ongoing transmission in the facility
Bacillii multiplication in latent and active TB
Active: active and multipliyng
Latent: inactive and contained
TST and IGRA test results for latent and active TB
Active: Positive
Latent: positive
Chest xray results for latent and active TB
Active: abnormal
Latent: normal
Sputum smears and culture for latent and active TB
Active: positive
Latent: negative
Symptoms of active and latent TB
Active: symptomatic
Latent: asymptomatic
Infectiousness of active and latent TB
Active: Infectious
Latent: Not infectious
Does latent TB require treatment?
Yes
Does active TB require treatment?
Yes
How long after initial infection with TB does the immune system limit additional multiplication of the bacteria
2-12 weeks
Why treat latent TB
Prevents TB from turning into active disease
Who should be included in the TB screening program?
All part-time, temporary, contract, and full-time HCP and LIP
Students and volunteers may need to be considered for the program as well
What does the TB screening include for HCP?
- individual risk assessment
- Symptom evaluation
- Testing
What are the two types of TB test?
- PPD (purified protein derivative)-based tuberculin skin test (TST)
- interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA)
What are the brands of IGRA?
- QauntiFERON-TB Gold in-tube test (QFT-GIT)
- T-Spot TB test
What is the benefit of IGRA testing?
Single visit to conduct the test and results are within 24 hours
TST process description
-0.1 ml of tb PPD into forearm
- read between 48-72 hours later
- place again if not read at 72 hours
How many TSTs are needed if it’s a new hire with no documented negative TST tests in the past 12 months?
two
What is the gold standard for TB testing?
IGRA
Rational behind IGRA
Persons infected with M. TB will release interferon gamma (IFN-g) when mixed with antigens derived from M. TB
Reasons BCG not administered in U.S.
- low prevalence of M. tuberculosis
- variable effectiveness against adult pulmonary TB
- potential interference with TST
Preferred test for BCG vaccinated people
IGRA
What happens if an HCP screens positive for TB?
-Chest xray
What happens if a person is IGRA positive and chest xray negative?
provide info on symptoms that are suggestive of TB and instruct them to report
What happens if a person is IGRA positive and xray is abnormal?
- take exposure history to determine if the infection is occupational or community associated
- refer to hcp for therapy
- follow regs for follow up CXR
Do chest xrays need to be repeated for latent TB cases?
Only if they become symptomatic
If TB conversion identified, who to refer HCP to
Provider for consideration of preventative therapy
What to do if there is a potential TB exposure..
Was the exposure unprotected? (N95 or higher not worn)
If yes- administer TST at time of exposure and again in 12 weeks
Will an employee with latent TB require CXR after exposure?
Not unless they have symptoms
What are the symptoms of TB?
Bloody cough that is long-term
fever
chest pain
chills
weight loss
fatigue
night sweats
When should employees with TB be excluded from work?
They have laryngeal or pulmonary TB
When can excluded staff with active TB return to work?
1) they are responding to anti-TB treatment
2) 3 consecutive sputum tests collected 8-24 hours apart are all negative
3) documented clearance to be non-infectious by a physician knowledgeable about managing TB
Requirement from OSHA that requires employers to provide a program for HCP working in an environment that could require a respirator
Respiratory Protection Program
Who oversees the respiratory protection program at the hc facility?
a program administrator who is qualified by appropriate training or experience and conduct required evaluations of program’s effectiveness
How often must the employer provide training to staff about the respiratory protection program?
- upon hire
- annually
- as needed
What must the respiratory protection program training include?
- how to select the correct respirator
- when respirator needed
- how to maintain and use the respirator
Parts of the respiratory protection program
1) written program
2) respirator medical evaluation
3) trainnig
4) fit testing
5) recordkeeping
Logistics of the respiratory program
- procedures for selecting respirators
- staff medical evaluations
- fit testing procedures
- procedures for proper use, storing, and discarding of respirators
Education - respiratory program components
- respiratory hazards during routine and emergent situations
- proper use of respirators- donning and doffing and fit checks
- limitations of respirators
- maintenance and care of equipment
When should fit-testing happen?
- prior to use
- annually
-as needed
What are the two types of fit testing?
Qualitative fit test (QLFT)
Quantitative fit test (QNFT)
This fit test uses smell or taste and results in pass or fail
qualitative fit test
This fit test uses a machine to measure the actual amount of leakage into the mask
Quantitative fit test (QNFT)
Do PAPRs require fit testing?
No
Example of “as needed” for fit testing
- facial/ physical changes such as extreme weight loss or gain
How often do HCP need to perform a seal check for their respirator?
with each use
Name for chicken pox
Varicella zoster virus
Name for shingles
Herpes zoster virus
How is chickenpox spread?
- Person to person by direct contact
- inhalation of aerosols from skin lesions (chickenpox or shingles)
- infected respiratory secretions?
Contagious window for chickenpox
1-2 days before rash
How long do people with chickenpox remain contagious?
until all lesions are dry and crusted over
Incubation periods for chickenpox
14-16 days (range 10-21 days)
How chickenpox lesions present in vaccinated people and when they are contagious
- lesions do not crust over
- contagious until there are no new lesions that have appeared for 24 hours
What age group is a prodrome of fever and malaise 1-2 days before chickenpox common in: kids or adults?
Adults
What is the R0 of chickenpox?
8-12
evidence of varicella immunity in adults
- history of clinical dx and lab evidence of immunity (titer)
- documentation of age-appropriate vaccination
Recommendation for varicella vaccination who do not have evidence of immunity
Vaccinate
First step after varicella exposure
Verify dx in index case
Second step after varicella exposure once dx confirmed
test immunity of HCP who are exposed, immediately after exposure to check for antibodies
What to do if the HCP exposed to varicella does not have immunity
exclude from work from day 10 - day 21 postexposure
If chickenpox symptoms develop in an exposed person- how long to exclude?
until all lesions are dry and crusted over
What can be used in HCP exposed to chickenpox that are immunocompromised or pregnant
VZIG
How does VZIG impact exclusion?
Exclude from day 10- day 28
How are N. meningitidis transmitted?
respiratory droplets
Where do N. meningitidis attach to and multiply?
Nasopharynx and oropharnyx
What menningococcal disease patients can transmit meningitis?
- meningococcemia
- meningococcal meningitis
- lower resp tract infection with N. meningitidis through handling lab specimens
First line of defense for staff against meningococcal disease
Vaccinate high-risk HCP, including lab personnel who handle N. meningitidis
How often to offer lab staff boosters for meningococcal disease?
Every 5 years
What does unprotected contact to N. Meningitidis entail?
NO MASK and
mouth to mouth
endotracheal intubation
endotracheal tube management
close examination of oropharynx
PEP for meningococcal disease exposure
- rifampin every 12 hours for 2 days
- single dose cipro
- single dose ceftriaxone
What two meningicoccal PEP drugs are NOT recommended for pregnant women?
Cipro
Rifampin
Documentation of immunity for rubella
- one dose of live rubella vaccine
- lab evidence of immunity
Documentation of immunity for measles
- documentation of 2-step MMR
- lab evidence of immunity
- lab confirmation of disease if born before 1957
documentation of mumps immunity
- documentation of 2-step MMR
- lab evidence of immunity
- lab confirmation of disease if birth before 1957
What are the immunization recommendations for HCP born before 1957 who do not have lab evidence of immunity?
dose of MMR
Who should NOT receive the MMR vaccine?
Pregnant women or women who plan to become pregnant in the next 28 days
who should receive the MMR vaccine?
Anyone without evidence of immunity and not pregnant
Incubation period for measles
11-12 days