Question

Your committee’s charge is to investigate a concern presented by the state health department, which maintains registries for most infectious diseases. Review of these registries revealed that over the past five years, 16 cases of acute hepatitis virus infection had a commonality: 16 patients had visited the same hospital based medical practice, South Suburban Hospital, before the onset of the infection. The state health department conducted an investigation, consisting of the collection of blood samples from healthcare personnel coupled with a series of comprehensive interviews. Results of the investigation indicated the following: none of the healthcare personnel had a history of acute hepatitis or HBV immunizations. The state health department conducted an investigation, consisting of the collection of blood samples from healthcare personnel coupled with a series of comprehensive interviews. Results of the investigation indicated the following: none of the healthcare personnel had a history of acute hepatitis or HBV immunization, and to physician dermatologist had a negative HBV surface antigen test but positive HBV surface antibody tests, which indicated that the physicians had been exposed to HBV. Further investigation revealed that these two physicians had seen 15,000 patients over the five-year study. The majority of these patients were white, female, and over the age of 50 years.

Based on this study what is the incidence rate for HBV?

Index case. Due to the lack of highly detailed data, it may not be possible to identify the index case with certainty. Still, there is a very limited number of possibilities. Describe the possibilities, and what implications come with each being identified as the index case.

What is the hospital’s plan to ensure the future outbreaks will not occur?

Before investigating the outbreak and searching for answers to the questions posted by the State Health Department, what preliminary question must be answered by your committee?

Answer 1

Formula of incidence rate is:

(No. new cases occuring over a period of time divided by total no. Of cases at risk) Multiple 1000

So the incidence rate is 1.066 cases per 1000 cases.

Index case::

Possibilities and implications:
The index case is identified in epidemiology studies by tracking down the infected patients to try to determine how the disease originated.The index or primary case is the initial patient in the population of an epidemiological investigation. It may indicate the source of the disease, the possible spread, and which reservoir holds the disease in-between outbreaks.

Hospital plans to ensure future outbreaks not happen are::

1.Proper screening of health care workers at regular period of time.

2.Care is taken while treating the patient.

3.Proper disposal of medical waste.

4.Immunisation of the staff

5.Regular cleaning and sanitation.

6.Tests of blood products.

Preliminary questions to be answered are::

1.That to which Organization we belong and what work we will carry out.