[The risk management in health personnel tuberculosis]

Within work environment and even more among health service areas, to deepen the monitoring efforts and awareness of the workers in order to accomplish a more effective and fast response against morbidity indexes and prevalence of tbc, constitute the necessary prerequisite for any subsequent action of prevention and control. On the other hand, one of the employer's obligations toward a health facility is to identify professionally exposed subjects (Legislative Decree 626/94 art.78), and perform risk assessment. Continuous report from various hospitals concerning suspicious contacts between employees and patients affected by tbc further increase the threat. At AOUP in Palermo from 2003 to May 2007, 39 cases of suspected contact between employees and patients affected by tbc were reported to the 'Staff Union for Health Related Issues' by various hospital departments and the 'Office of the Medical Competent', 34 of these reported cases have pulmonary involvement. The above mentioned situation made necessary to launch an effective program capable of addressing the risks of tbc in both circumstances of suspected or certain contact and during normal work activities.