Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T07:26:22.016Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Nurses and Occupational Exposures to Bloodborne Viruses in Poland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Maria Gańczak ,
Marta Milona  and
Zbigniew Szych
Maria Gańczak*
Affiliation:
Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
Marta Milona
Affiliation:
Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
Zbigniew Szych
Affiliation:
Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
*
Ul. Karpowicza 9, 71-304 Szczecin, Poland (ganczak2@wp.pl)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Study Objective.

To record descriptions of occupational exposures to blood, determine factors predictive of exposure, and identify interventions that might reduce the frequency of exposure.

Design.

An analytic, cross-sectional survey.

Study Population.

A total of 601 nurses from surgical wards, operating rooms, and emergency departments.

Study Instrument.

An anonymous questionnaire developed by the authors on the basis of previously published guidelines was distributed between January and March 2003.

Sampling.

Random, with 18 hospitals selected from 2 urban and rural locations.

Results.

Almost half of respondents reported having had at least 1 puncture injury during the preceding year, 1 in 5 had exposure via mucous membranes, and more than half had worked at least once with a recent abrasion or cut on their hands. The number of injuries was independent of age (P = .26), duration of practice (P = .21), and workplace setting (P = .78). The percentage of nurses without percutaneous exposure during the preceding year was significantly higher in the group that received special HIV/AIDS training than in the group that did not (95% confidence interval, 5.8-24.1%; P<.002). The most recent exposure was primarily caused by hollow-bore needles, involved the palm and fingers II-V, was self-inflicted, took place during an elective procedure, and was not reported to the hospital's infection control center by 74% of respondents. The most common reason for not reporting the exposure (38% of cases) was the conviction that the source patient was not infected.

Conclusions.

Because of the large number of occupational exposures to blood, especially those due to injuries with hollow-bore needles, nurses should adopt more adequate behavioral strategies to prevent the transmission of blood-borne pathogens. Policies for providing adequate education programs tailored to encourage nurses to report all exposures are urgently required.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 27 , Issue 2 , February 2006 , pp. 175 - 180
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Beltrami, EM, Williams, IT, Shapiro, CN, Chamberland, ME. Risk and management of blood-borne infections in health care workers. Clin Microbiol Rev 2000; 13:385–407.Google Scholar
2.Kuo, YH, Fabiani, JN, Mohamed, AS, et al. Decreasing occupational risk related to blood-borne viruses in cardiovascular surgery in Paris, France. Ann Thorac Surg 1999; 68:2267–2272.Google Scholar
3.Trim, JC, Elliott, TS. A review of sharps injuries and preventive strategies. J Hosp Infect 2003; 53:237–242.Google Scholar
4.Peplońska, B, Szeszenia-Dabrowska, N. Registered occupational diseases among personnel of Polish hospitals, 2001. Med Pr 2002; 53:369–374.Google Scholar
5.Gladysz, A, Rotter, K. Chronic B and C hepatitis as occupationally acquired infections. Warsaw, Poland: Medipress; 1999(suppl 1):3–5.Google Scholar
6.National AIDS Center. Summary of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Poland. November 31, 2005. Available at: http://www.aids.gov.pl/epidem/aids.htm. Accessed January 20, 2006.Google Scholar
7.Damani, NN. Manual of Infection Control Procedures. 2nd ed. London, United Kingdom: Greenwich Medical Media; 2003:191–206.Google Scholar
8.Gerberding, JL. Incidence and prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and cytomegalovirus among health care personnel at risk for blood exposure: final report from a longitudinal study. J Infect Dis 1994; 170:1410–1417.Google Scholar
9.Updated US Public Health Service guidelines for the management of occupational exposures to HBV, HCV, and HIV and recommendations for postexposure prophylaxis. MMWR Recomm Rep 2001; 50 (RR-11): 1–52.Google Scholar
10.Ippolito, G, Puro, V, Heptonstall, J, Jagger, J, De Carli, G, Petrosillo, N. Occupational HIV infection in health care workers: worldwide cases through September 1997. Clin Infect Dis 1999; 28:365–383.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Panlilio, A.L, Foy, DR, Edwards, JR, et al. Blood contacts during surgical procedures. JAMA 1991;265:1533–1537.Google Scholar
12.Hanrahan, A, Reutter, L. A critical review of the literature on sharps injuries: epidemiology, management and prevention. J Adv Nurs 1997; 25:144–154.Google Scholar
13.Moloughney, BW. Transmission and post-exposure management of bloodborne virus infections in the health care setting: where are we now? CMAJ 2001; 165:445–451.Google Scholar
14.Shiao, JS, Mclaws, ML, Huang, KY, Guo, YL. Student nurses in Taiwan at high risk for needlestick injuries. Ann Epidemiol 2002; 12:197–201.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Willy, ME, Dhillon, GL, Loewen, NL, et al. Adverse exposures and universal precautions practised among a group of highly exposed health professionals. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1990; 11:351–356.Google Scholar
16.Ippolito, G, Puro, V, Petrsillo, N, De Carli, G. Surveillance of occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens in HCWs: the Italian National Programme. Euro Surveill 1999;4:33–36.Google Scholar
17.Lowenfels, AB, Wormster, GP, Jain, R. Frequency of puncture injuries in surgeons and estimated risk of hiv infection. Arch Surg 1989;124: 1284–1287.Google Scholar
18.O'Neal, T, Abbott, AV, Radecki, SE. Risk of needlesticks and occupational exposures among residents and medical staff. Arch Intern Med 1992; 152: 1451–1456.Google Scholar
19.Jackson, MM, Lynch, P. The epidemiology of HIV infection, AIDS, and health care workers risk issues. In: Saucier, KA, ed. Perspectives in Family and Community Health. St Louis: Mosby; 1991:82–88.Google Scholar
20.Lowenfels, AB, Mehta, V, Levi, DA, Montecalvo, MA, Savino, JA, Wormster, G. Reduced frequency of percutaneous injuries in surgeons: 1993 versus 1998. AIDS 1995; 9:199–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Watson, N. Poland's broken promises. Lancet 2004; 364:235–238.Google Scholar
22.Joint Working Party of the Hospital Infection Society and the Surgical Infection Study Group. Risk to surgeons from HIV and hepatitis: guidelines on precautions and management of exposure to blood or body fluids. BMJ 1992; 305:1337–1342.Google Scholar
23.Hill, DR. HIV infection following motor vehicle trauma in Central Africa. JAMA 1989; 261:3282–3283.Google Scholar
24.Ippolito, G, Puro, V, Petrosillo, N, De Carli, G, Micheloni, G, Magliano, E. Simultaneous infection with HIV and hepatitis C virus following occupational conjunctival blood exposure. JAMA 1998; 280:28.Google Scholar
25.Gánczak, M, Milona, M, Szych, Z. Surgical nurses and their concerns of acquiring HIV infection at the workplace. Rocz Akad Med Bialymst 2005; 50(suppl 1):203–206.Google Scholar
26.Haiduven, DJ, DeMaio, TM, Stevens, D. A five-year study of needle-stick injuries: significant reduction associated with communication, education, and convenient placement of sharps containers. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1992; 13:265–271.Google Scholar
27.Weltman, AC, Short, LJ, Mendelson, MH, et al. Disposal-related sharps injuries at a New York City teaching hospital. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1995; 16:268–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28.Mast, ST, Woolwine, JD, Gerberding, JL. Efficiency of gloves in reducing blood volumes transferred during simulated needlestick injury. J Infect Dis 1993; 168:1589–1592.Google Scholar
29.Bell, DM. Occupational risk of HIV infection in healthcare workers: an overview. Am J Med 1997; 102:9–15.Google Scholar
30.Hoffman-Terry, M, Rhodes, LV III, Reed, JF III. Impact on HIV on medical and surgical residents. Arch Intern Med 1992; 152:1788–1796.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31.Mangione, CM, Gerberding, JL, Cummings, SR. Occupational exposure to HIV: frequency and rates of underreporting of percutaneous and mucocutaneous exposures by medical housestaff. Am J Med 1991; 90: 85–90.Google Scholar
32.Resnic, FS, Noerdlinger, MA. Occupational exposure among medical students and house staff at a New York City medical center. Arch Intern Med 1995; 155:75–80.Google Scholar