9 research outputs found
Vaccination of healthcare workers to protect patients at increased risk of acute respiratory disease: summary of a systematic review
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of exposure to
respiratory pathogens and may transmit infection to vulnerable
patients. This study summarises a recent systematic review, which
aimed to assess evidence that influenza or pneumococcal
vaccination of HCWs provides indirect protection for those patients
most at risk of severe or complicated acute respiratory infection. A
number of healthcare databases and sources of grey literature were
searched using a predefined strategy, and citations screened for
eligibility in accordance with specified inclusion criteria. Risk of bias
was assessed using validated tools and results summarised
qualitatively. Twenty papers were included in the final review, all of
which considered influenza vaccination of HCW. As such, planned
subanalysis of pneumococcal vaccination was discarded. The
majority of primary research studies included (11/14) were
conducted in long-term care facilities, but there was marked
heterogeneity in terms of the population, intervention/exposure and
outcomes considered. Consistency in the direction of effect was
observed across several different outcome measures, suggesting that
influenza vaccination of HCWs is likely to offer some protection.
Further evidence is, however, required from acute care settings
Vaccination of Health Care Workers to protect patients at increased risk for acute respiratory disease
Health care workers (HCWs) may transmit respiratory infection to patients. We assessed evidence for the effectiveness of vaccinating HCWs to provide indirect protection for patients at risk for severe or complicated disease after acute respiratory infection. We searched electronic health care databases and sources of gray literature by using a predefined strategy. Risk for bias was assessed by using validated tools, and results were synthesized by using a narrative approach. Seventeen of the 12,352 identified citations met the full inclusion criteria, and 3 additional articles were identified from reference or citation tracking. All considered influenza vaccination of HCWs, and most were conducted in long-term residential care settings. Consistency in the direction of effect was observed across several different outcome measures, suggesting a likely protective effect for patients in residential care settings. However, evidence was insufficient for us to confidently extrapolate this to other at-risk patient groups
Comparison of patient characteristics for pregnant and non-pregnant women of child-bearing age from the FLU-CIN cohort.
*<p>Unadjusted odds ratio.</p>$<p>Indicated by CAT triage criteria A<sup>20</sup>.</p>†<p>Age fitted as a continuous variable in the logistic regression model.</p