Abstract
To understand the current situation of occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens in a women's and children's hospital and analyze the causes to provide a scientific basis for improving occupational exposure prevention and control measures. We analyzed occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens in a third-class women's and children's hospital from 2015 to 2018, considering the workers’ occupational categories and length of service; the sites, types, and causes of exposure; and the pathogens of the source patients. From 2015 to 2018, there were 146 cases of occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens, mainly from sharp-instrument injuries (81.5%; 119/146). Trainees represented the highest proportion of occupational exposure (30.1%; 44/146), followed by nurses (29.5%; 43/146). Occupational exposure among staff with less than one year of service accounted for 43.2% (63/146) of cases. Fisher's exact test showed that different occupational groups had different types of occupational exposure, and among the occupationally exposed populations, the proportion of sharp injuries is higher than that of blood and body fluid exposure, and the difference is statistically significant (χ2 = 12.937, P = 0.008). Different occupational groups faced exposure to different types of pathogens: medical staff were more likely than workmen to be exposed to hepatitis B, while workmen were more likely than medical staff to be exposed to unknown pathogens; these differences were statistically significant (χ2 = 55.344, P < 0.001). Health records were established for all cases of occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens, and no staff members contracted a blood-borne disease due to occupational exposure. In order to reduce occupational exposure, regular training in occupational protection for junior medical staff and workers should be strengthened, the monitoring and protection system of occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens improved, standard prevention measures strengthened, operations standardized, safe injection equipment provided, and comprehensive measures taken.
Highlights
Occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens refers to the state in which workers encounter blood or other potentially infectious substances containing blood-borne pathogens through the eyes, mouth, nose or other mucous membranes; damaged skin; or parenteral routes during occupational activities[1]
This study examined a total of 146 cases of occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens that occurred in a third-class women’s and children’s hospital from January 2015 to December 2018
Less experienced workers represented more cases of blood-borne occupational exposure; workers with less than 5 years of tenure accounted for 71.2% (104/146) of the total number of cases, and workers with less than one year of tenure accounted for 43.2% (63/146)
Summary
Occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens refers to the state in which workers encounter blood or other potentially infectious substances containing blood-borne pathogens through the eyes, mouth, nose or other mucous membranes; damaged skin; or parenteral routes during occupational activities[1]. Occupational exposure has always been one of the main problems that medical staff suffer from occupational-related blood-borne pathogen infections, and strong preventive measures have been taken all over the w orld[2]. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has proposed its preventive measures nationwide, and since the mid-1980s, when medical staff report HBV, especially HIV, they have provided guidelines. In Japan, people have realized that they are facing a large number of needles stick injury, and occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens is one of the serious problems in medical care[3–5]. The "Guidelines for the Prevention of Occupational Exposure to Blood-borne Pathogens", proposed in 2009, and the "Occupational Disease Classification and Catalogue", revised in 2013 to include AIDS among medical personnel due to occupational exposure, indicate the state’s increasing attention to the occupational exposure of medical p ersonnel[1,7]. To fully understand the current situation of occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens among the staff at a women’s and children’s hospital, reduce the risk of such exposure, and improve monitoring and protection against this threat, the present study retrospectively analyzed 146 cases of occupational exposure in a women’s and children’s hospital from 2015 to 2018
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