Behaviors and Attitudes of Polish Health Care Workers with Respect to the Hazards from Blood-Borne Pathogens: A Questionnaire-Based Study.

Anna Garus-Pakowska,Mariusz Górajski

doi:10.3390/ijerph16050891

Abstract

Blood-borne infections represent an important occupational health issue in health care settings. The aim of this study was to analyze behaviors of health care workers (HCWs) in the field of needlestick injuries (NSIs) as well as to learn about their attitudes to patients infected with blood-borne viruses. A total of 487 HCWs based at 26 hospitals in Poland completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire in the period of October–December 2015. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression. Of the HCWs, 44.8% suffered superficial wounds, and 17.9% HCWs were cut deeply at least once. The most frequent causes of injuries were: rush (31.4%), unpredictable patient behavior (29%), and lack of attention (27%). The rate of underreporting NSIs was 45.2%. Males showed more than three times higher chance of not reporting injuries (odds ratio (OR) 3.495, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.65–7.49). The nurses more often took off their protective gloves to make the procedure easier (p = 0.036). Taking off protective clothes was positively associated with long work experience (OR 1.16, 95% CI: 0.995–1.36). Recapping concerned 15.5% of doctors, 8.2% of nurses, and 11.2% of paramedics. 25.9% HCWs feared infection in the workplace, and every tenth HCW refused to help the infected patient. The longer the work experience, the greater the concern about the possibility of infection (OR 1.33, 95% CI: 0.99–1.78). Most HCWs were more cautious when dealing with an infected patient and in their opinion infected patients should be required to inform HCWs of their serological status and such information should be compulsorily transferred between different health institutions. The emphasis in the training of HCWs in the future should be on classes perfecting practical skills like paying more attention to reporting NSIs, improving occupational behaviors like avoiding needle recapping, and on the development of appropriate attitudes towards patients infected with HIV, HBV, or HCV.

Highlights

Among the more than 60 different pathogens transmitted through the bloodstream, and threatening workers in health care settings hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are the most common and carry a serious risk of complications.They cause social consequences, such as stigma and discrimination, and economic consequences associated with diagnostics and treatment [1,2,3,4,5]
needlestick injuries (NSIs), improving occupational behaviors like avoiding needle recapping, and on the development of appropriate attitudes towards patients infected with HIV, HBV, or HCV
We look for determinants of the following 4 health care workers (HCWs) attitudes to patients infected with blood-borne viruses: fear of infection, long-term fear, needs of introducing an information system about infected patients, and indifference

Summary

Introduction

Among the more than 60 different pathogens transmitted through the bloodstream, and threatening workers in health care settings hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are the most common and carry a serious risk of complications. They cause social consequences, such as stigma and discrimination, and economic consequences associated with diagnostics and treatment [1,2,3,4,5]. For HBV [6], 1.8–10% for HCV [7], and 0.3% for HIV infection [8]. Public Health 2019, 16, 891; doi:10.3390/ijerph16050891 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion