Epidemiologic profile of work-related accidents with biological material in Brazil, 2007-2021

Abstract

Accidents with biological material involve contact with body fluids, contamination potential, and mainly occurs among healthcare workers. Notification of WA-BM is mandatory for health services in Brazil. This work aims to describe the epidemiologic profile of work-related accidents with biological material (WA-BM) in Brazil. Methods: Data of WA-BM from 2007-2021 was gathered from the Information System of Notifiable Diseases (Sinan). Absolute and relative frequencies, proportional variation, and incidence rates (IR) per 100,000 workers were presented and analyzed by year with sociodemographic and occupation characteristics. Results: From 2007-2021, 720,076 WA-BM were notified in Sinan, with a sharp upward increase over the years, soaring from 15,735 cases in 2007 to 67,012 cases in 2019 (+325%), followed by a decline to 61,791 cases in 2021 (-8%), what may have happened due to interruption of several clinical cares and non-emergency surgeries because of the Covid-19 pandemic. IR was 17.3 cases x 100,000 workers in 2007, 70.3 in 2019, and 64.8 cases in 2021. Most cases occurred among women (77.1%), white (54.7%) or brown (29.7%), aged 20-34y (56.5%) or 35-49y (31.9%), with completed high school (41.1%) or undergraduate (23.4%). Most WA-BM were needlestick (67.3%) and sharp (6.9%) injuries, and affected nursing technician or assistant (47.2%), followed by nurses (8.0%), students – probably from health courses (6.0%), and clinical physicians (4.0%). Conclusions: Unsafe working conditions, lack of training and information on occupational risks, and psychosocial hazards (e.g., time pressure, long working hours, and shift work) are the main drivers of WA-BM in health care facilities, resulting in illness, injuries, absenteeism, and high expenditures for the health sector. Thus, it is urgent to strengthen occupational health and safety programs at national and facility levels, to identify hazards, to promote exposure and incident reporting, and to provide education, training, and immunizations against infectious disease.