Occupational Syphilis Following Scalpel Injury
Authors: Jan D. Raguse, Christian Camerer, Frank Bergmann, Christiane Schewe, Dirk Schürmann
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2012)

Letters20 March 2012Occupational Syphilis Following Scalpel InjuryJan D. Raguse, MD, Christian Camerer, MD, Frank Bergmann, MD, Christiane Schewe, MD, and Dirk Schürmann, MDJan D. Raguse, MDFrom Charité|Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany.Search for more papers by this author, Christian Camerer, MDFrom Charité|Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany.Search for more papers by this author, Frank Bergmann, MDFrom Charité|Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany.Search for more papers by this author, Christiane Schewe, MDFrom Charité|Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany.Search for more papers by this author, and Dirk Schürmann, MDFrom Charité|Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-156-6-201203200-00021 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: Previous reports have described many cases of occupational syphilis in health care personnel, but virtually all such reports were published before 1950 (1). In those reports, contact with a mucosal lesion was the most frequent route of transmission, but injuries from sharp devices were also reported to be routes of transmission (1).Education and prevention have made occurrences of occupational syphilis exceedingly rare (1). A review of the literature (2) found only 1 report of transmission through sharps injury. That report, however, did not involve a health care worker but a family caregiver who stuck herself with a needle ...References1. Meyer GS. Occupational infection in health care. The century-old lessons from syphilis. Arch Intern Med. 1993;153:2439-47. [PMID: 8215748] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Franco A, Aprea L, Dell'Isola C, Faella FS, Felaco FM, Manzillo E, et al. Clinical case of seroconversion for syphilis following a needlestick injury: why not take a prophylaxis? Infez Med. 2007;15:187-90. [PMID: 17940403] MedlineGoogle Scholar3. Palmer HM, Higgins SP, Herring AJ, Kingston MA. Use of PCR in the diagnosis of early syphilis in the United Kingdom. Sex Transm Infect. 2003;79:479-83. [PMID: 14663125] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Kent ME, Romanelli F. Reexamining syphilis: an update on epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and management. Ann Pharmacother. 2008;42:226-36. [PMID: 18212261] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Ficarra G, Carlos R. Syphilis: the renaissance of an old disease with oral implications. Head Neck Pathol. 2009;3:195-206. [PMID: 20596972] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Jan D. Raguse, MD; Christian Camerer, MD; Frank Bergmann, MD; Christiane Schewe, MD; Dirk Schürmann, MDAffiliations: From Charité|Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany.Disclosures: Dr. Raguse: Board membership: Sanofi Aventis, Merck Serono. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited bySexually transmitted infections and female reproductive healthSyphilis transmission: a review of the current evidenceBlood and Body Fluid Exposures in Health-Care Settings: Risk Reduction Practices and Postexposure Prophylaxis for Health-Care Workers 20 March 2012Volume 156, Issue 6Page: 475-476KeywordsBiopsyHIV infectionsHepatitis C virusLesionsPolymerase chain reactionResearch laboratoriesSexually transmitted diseasesSurgeonsSyphilisUlcers ePublished: 20 March 2012 Issue Published: 20 March 2012 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2012 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...