Jarke J, Marcus U (2002): Berufsbedingte HIV-Infektionen bei medizinischem Personal. [Occupationally acquired HIV infections in health care workers (HCW) in Germany]
Arbeitsmed. – Sozialmed. – Umweltmed. 26 (2): 175-186.
In Germany the risk of occupational HIV infection in health care workers is substantially lower than the risk of occupational infection with HBV or HCV. The possibilities for preventing chronic infection with HVB, HCV and HIV as a result of post-exposure intervention are comparable. Prophylactic procedures after definite or possible HIV exposure are described in detail in the German-Austrian recommendations on HIV post-exposure prophylaxis. The analysis of 44 HIV infections officially recognised in Germany as occupationally acquired, reveals that in only eight cases was there definite proof of occupational transmission. In the other cases occupational causality was either judged as possible (16 cases) or they were acknowledged because of an increased workplace risk of HIV exposure and the absence of other obvious risk factors (20 cases). To detect occupationally acquired HIV infections transmitted during unreported exposures, and to facilitate the evaluation of the possible occupational risk of such transmissions, all health care workers from areas with an occupational risk of infection should be offered HIV testing during regular health check-ups.