Abstract
<p>Health care workers (HCWs) are exposed to blood and body fluids (BBF) due to occupational accidents. However, few studies have investigated the prevalence of occupational exposure in Chinese HCWs thus far. There is a clearly a critical need to characterize its epidemiology more fully in China so that effective prevention programs can be implemented. We conducted a retrospective study at a university hospital in China, giving an epidemiological analysis on these exposed HCWs whose pathogens of BBF from patients were positive [human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) / hepatitis B (HBV) / hepatitis C (HCV)]. From July 1st 2011 to June 30th 2014, a total of 155 occupational exposures to positive BBF were reported, with an incidence of 16.64 (/1000 person-years). Percutaneous injuries were the most common type of exposure episodes (89.03%). The most common type of exposed blood-borne pathogens was HBV (83.87%), and the majority of the respondents were nursing students, with an incidence of 34.22 (/1000 person-years). More effective preventive strategies on HCWs’ BBF occupational exposure should be implemented in China, especially for nursing students.</p>
Highlights
Health care workers (HCWs) are exposed to blood and body fluids (BBF) due to occupational accidents which can result from percutaneous injury, mucocutaneous injury or blood contact with damaged skin
We conducted a retrospective study at a university hospital in China, giving an epidemiological analysis on these exposed HCWs whose pathogens of BBF from patients were positive [human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) / hepatitis B (HBV) / hepatitis C (HCV)]
Few studies have only focused on the epidemiology of occupational exposure to these positive and common BBF (HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV)) among HCWs
Summary
Health care workers (HCWs) are exposed to blood and body fluids (BBF) due to occupational accidents which can result from percutaneous injury (needlestick and sharps injury), mucocutaneous injury (splashes of blood or other body fluids into the eyes, nose or mouth) or blood contact with damaged skin. These exposures predispose the HCWs to more than 20 microorganisms that cause blood borne infections in which hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are reported to be the most common (Tarantola et al, 2006; Bell, 1991). This study aimed to shed some light on the BBF occupational exposures among Chinese HCWs
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