Table 1.
Characteristics of the compensation claims for occupational disease due to MRSA reported to the Berufsgenossenschaft für Gesundheitsdienst und Wohlfahrtspflege in 2006 and 2007 separated by recognized and rejected cases
| Characteristics | Recognized cases n = 17 | Rejected cases n = 372 |
|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | |
| Age in years (mean, SD) | 44 (11.8) | 39 (11.3) |
| Gender, women | 16 (94) | 315 (85) |
| Occupation | ||
| Nurse, nurse aide | 11 (64) | 142 (38) |
| Geriatric nurse | 4 (24) | 93 (24) |
| Medical and physician assistant | 0 | 44 (12) |
| Medical doctor | 1 (6) | 34 (9) |
| Disability support worker | 1 (6) | 4 (1) |
| Othera | 0 | 55 (15) |
| Workplace | ||
| Nursing home for the elderly | 8 (47) | 125 (34) |
| Hospital | 6 (35) | 111 (30) |
| Outpatient care | 2 (12) | 71 (19) |
| Medical practice | 0 | 47 (13) |
| Facility for the disabled | 1 (6) | 9 (2) |
| Other | 0 | 9 (2) |
| Exposure at the workplace to MRSA | 17 (100) | 58 (16) |
| Diagnosis of MRSA | ||
| Staff screening | 2 (12) | ./.b |
| Medical examination prompted by symptoms of infection | 15 (88) | ./.b |
| Body sites infected by MRSA (multiple answers possible) | ./.b | |
| Ear, nose, throat, sinus ethmoidales | 9 (53) | |
| Skin | 7 (41) | |
| Bone (nasal septum, dental) | 3 (18) | |
| Joints (shoulder, DIP and PIP joints) | 3 (18) | |
| Respiratory tract (lung, bronchia) | 2 (11) | |
aIncludes occupations like administrative associated professions, housekeepers, cleaners
bData not collected or unknown