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The Detection of Blood on Nonporous Environmental Surfaces: An Approach for Assessing Factors Contributing to the Risk of Occupational Exposure to Blood in the Autopsy Suite

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Lorraine R. Beaumont
Lorraine R. Beaumont*
Affiliation:
Occupational Safety and Health Branch, Division of Safety, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
*
Occupational Safety and Health Branch, Division of Safety, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bldg 13, Rm 3K04, Bethesda, MD 20892
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Abstract

A simple and inexpensive method to assess the contamination of environmental surfaces and the associated potential risk of exposure of autopsy room personnel to potentially hazardous materials is described. Blood was selected as a marker of contamination and HEMASTIX® reagent strips were used to determine its presence on selected surfaces. The surfaces selected for examination typically do not come into direct contact with cadavers or tissues during a routine postmortem examination and thus are not included in routine cleanup. We documented the presence of blood on a variety of environmental surfaces in the autopsy suite and suggest that the contamination resulted from a breakdown in good work practices, most probably the indiscriminate handling or touching of materials and equipment with contaminated gloves. The risk of exposure to blood by the indirect route was deemed significant. The results of this study underscore the importance of establishing and consistently following good work practices and cleanup procedures to minimize the risk of exposure to blood before, during, and after postmortem examinations.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 8 , Issue 10 , October 1987 , pp. 424 - 426
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1987

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