Blood and body fluid exposure risks among health care workers: Results from the Duke Health and Safety Surveillance System

Background Health care workers (HCWs) are at risk of exposures to human blood and body fluids (BBF). Needlestick injuries and splashes place HCWs at risk for numerous blood‐borne infections including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV). Utilizing a new compre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of industrial medicine Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 637 - 648
Main Authors: Dement, John M., Epling, Carol, Østbye, Truls, Pompeii, Lisa A., Hunt, Debra L.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.12.2004
Wiley-Liss
Subjects:
Adult
Age Distribution
Biological and medical sciences
blood
Blood-Borne Pathogens
body fluids
Body Fluids - microbiology
Female
health care workers
Health participants
Health Personnel - statistics & numerical data
Health Surveys
Hepatitis B virus
Hepatitis C virus
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Incidence
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional - prevention & control
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional - statistics & numerical data
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
needle stick
Needlestick Injuries - epidemiology
Occupational Exposure - analysis
Occupational Exposure - statistics & numerical data
Occupational Health
Probability
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Risk Assessment
surveillance
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States
North America
America
needle stick
Sting
Hepatic disease
Risk
Occupational exposure
Epidemiology
Blood
Viral hepatitis B
Work safety
blood-borne pathogens
health care workers
surveillance
Sanitary surveillance
Biological contamination
Viral hepatitis C
Human
Immunopathology
Health staff
Retroviridae
AIDS
body fluids
Risk analysis
Immune deficiency
Lentivirus
Infection
Virus
Viral disease
Digestive diseases
Human immunodeficiency virus
Flaviviridae
Hepatitis C virus
Hepacivirus
Occupational medicine
ISSN:0271-3586, 1097-0274
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Summary:Background Health care workers (HCWs) are at risk of exposures to human blood and body fluids (BBF). Needlestick injuries and splashes place HCWs at risk for numerous blood‐borne infections including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV). Utilizing a new comprehensive occupational health surveillance system, the objective of this research was to better define the BBF exposure risk and risk factors among employees of a large tertiary medical center. Methods A population of 24,425 HCWs employed in jobs with potential BBF exposures was followed for BBF exposure events from 1998 to 2002. BBF exposure rates were calculated for strata defined by age, race, gender, occupation, work location, and duration of employment. Poisson regression was used for detailed analyses of risk factors for BBF exposure. Results The study population reported 2,730 BBF exposures during the study period, resulting in an overall annual rate of 5.5 events/100 FTEs and a rate of 3.9 for percutaneous exposures. Higher rates were observed for males, persons employed less than 4 years, Hispanic employees, and persons less than 45 years of age. Much higher rates were observed for house staff, nurse anesthetists, inpatient nurses, phlebotomists, and surgical/operating room technicians. Poisson regression results strengthened and extended results from stratified analyses. Rates of percutaneous exposures from hollow needles were found to decrease over the study period; however, exposure rates from suture needles appear to be increasing. Conclusion While continued training efforts need to be directed toward new HCWs, our data also suggest that employees who have been in their job 1–4 years continue to be at higher risk of BBF exposures. This research also points to the need for better safety devices/products and work practices to reduce suture‐related injuries. Am. J. Ind. Med. 46:637–648, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bibliography:National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - No. 5 R01 OH003979-03
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ArticleID:AJIM20106
ObjectType-Article-2
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content type line 23
ISSN:0271-3586
1097-0274
DOI:10.1002/ajim.20106