Pattern .of pulmonary tuberculosis and its associated complications amongst health care workers in a tertiary care hospital

ABSTRACT

To find out the pattern of pulmonary tuberculosis and its associated complications among health care workers in our hospital set up. Nishtar Hospital, Multan. It was a simple descriptive study. January 2003 to December 2004. The study was conducted among health care workers [Doctors, Nurses, Nursing students, and other paramedics like Lab. workers, ward assistants and cleaners], serving in the hospital for more than one year in the Medicine and Allied, Surgical and Allied and Pathology department. Among doctors, one case of active disease was detected [2.85%] while inactive disease was found in 4 subjects [11.4%]. Tuberculous infection rate was found to be 65.7%. Among nurses, 3 were detected having active [11.5%] and 5 inactive disease [19.2%]. Among nursing students, 4 were suffering from active disease [20%] and 3 inactive disease [15%]. The study showed that tuberculosis remains an occupational hazard for HCW