Hepatitis C infection in the health care setting. I. Low risk from parenteral exposure to blood of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

Many patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have also been infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). To understand better the epidemiology of HCV infection in the health care setting, HCV antibody testing was done for 125 health care workers who had experienced parenteral exposures to blood of HIV-infected patients and for 33 control health care workers without such exposures. Of the 158 health care workers studied, two (1.3%) had positive tests for HCV, both on the baseline serum sample obtained at parenteral exposure. For the 98 exposed, seronegative health care workers who were prospectively followed, no HCV seroconversions were observed over a time of 17.6 +/- 16.9 months. At least 64 of these 98 health care workers were exposed to blood of HIV-infected intravenous drug users, a group with an HCV seroprevalence rate in excess of 50% at our center in suburban New York City. We conclude that parenteral exposure to blood of HIV-infected patients in the health care setting is rarely associated with the development of hepatitis C infection.