Clinical Safety: Occupationally-acquired Infections and Healthcare Workers

Occupationally acquired infections are infections caused by pathogens transmitted to healthcare personnel following exposures that occur in healthcare settings. Exposures could occur because of contact with:

• Coworkers.
• Patients.
• Visitors.
• Environmental surfaces.
• Medical devices.
• Other healthcare sources.

Background

Novel and emerging pathogens

Infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance for novel and emerging pathogens might be available on an individual pathogen basis. IPC processes for novel pathogens may vary from standard practices. Examples include:

• Infection Control: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) | CDC
• Infection Control: Healthcare Settings | Mpox | Poxvirus | CDC
• Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Hospitalized Patients Under Investigation (PUIs) for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in U.S. Hospitals | Ebola Virus Disease | Clinicians | Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease) | CDC
• National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC)

Occupational IPC

CDC publishes infection control guidelines and recommendations for healthcare settings Including the Guideline for Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel The recommendations in this guideline are intended for leaders, administrators, and staff of occupational health services who provide occupational infection prevention and control services to healthcare personnel and prevent transmission of infections between healthcare personnel and others. This includes recommendations about:

• the infrastructure and routine practices necessary to provide occupational infection prevention and control services to healthcare personnel, and
• controlling the work-related spread of selected pathogens to and from healthcare personnel, including work restrictions and post-exposure prophylaxis.

Resources for worker safety

Bloodborne pathogen exposures and infections

Prevention

Response after exposure

• Updated US Public Health Service Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Recommendations for Postexposure Prophylaxis
• CDC Guidance for Evaluating Health-Care Personnel for Hepatitis B Virus Protection and for Administering Postexposure Management
• Updated CDC Guidance for Testing and Clinical Management of Health Care Personnel Potentially Exposed to Hepatitis C Virus
• National Clinicians Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Hotline (PEPline)
• Exposed to HIV? The clock is ticking! Take Action!

Living with infections

• Updated CDC Recommendations for the Management of Hepatitis B Virus–Infected Health-Care Providers and Students
• Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)'s Management of Healthcare Personnel Living with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus in US Healthcare Institutions

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) toolkit National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) toolkit
• Training Frontline Health Care Professionals and Auditing Practices
• Sequence for Donning and Removing Personal Protective Equipment

Immunization

Healthcare personnel are at risk for exposure to vaccine-preventable diseases because of their contact with infectious patients or related materials. Immunization of healthcare personnel remains a critical part of an occupational infection prevention and control program.

Aerosol generating procedures

Some procedures are more likely to generate higher concentrations of infectious respiratory aerosols than coughing, sneezing, talking or breathing. These aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) potentially put healthcare personnel and others at an increased risk for pathogen exposure and infection.

There is neither expert consensus nor sufficient supporting data to create a definitive and comprehensive list of AGPs for healthcare settings.

Commonly performed medical procedures that are often considered AGPs or that might create uncontrolled respiratory secretions include:

• Open suctioning of airways.
• Sputum induction.
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Endotracheal intubation and extubation.
• Non-invasive ventilation such as BiPAP and CPAP.
• Bronchoscopy.
• Manual ventilation.

It is uncertain whether aerosols generated from some procedures may be infectious, such as:

• Nebulizer administration A
• High flow O2 delivery

Staff education

Project Firstline provides resources for frontline healthcare personnel including educational modules on:

• Infection control.
• Injection safety.
• PPE use.
• Environmental cleaning and disinfection.

On This Page

• Why it's important
• Background
• Resources for worker safety
• Staff education