Abstract

Introduction: Blood exposure accidents (BEA) are a major public health problem, especially in developing countries such as Cameroon. Evaluating the knowledge and practices among healthcare workers (HCWs) of the Ngaoundere Regional Hospital (NRH), in relation to BEA, was a logical step towards addressing this concern in Cameroon.

Design: From 1 March to 30 April 2021, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the NRH in the Adamawa region of Cameroon. The study population consisted of the HCWs of the NRH. A total, 218 health care personnel were contacted to participate in the study and 172 (78.89%) HCWs agreed. Data were collected using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire.

Results: A total of 172 HCWs were surveyed and the predominant gender was female (54.7%), the average age was 35.55±7.46 years, and the average longevity was 9.14±6.78 years. Approximately 62.80% of the respondents claimed to have had at least one BEA. The most common BEA was needle stick injury (87.5%), followed by infected blood splashed into the mouth and/or eyes (52.0%) and contact with a wound containing infected blood (48.7%).

Conclusions: This study revealed a poor knowledge of interventions after BEA, demonstrated in the practices of HCWs of the NRH, especially according to their professional category, with medical staff having a better knowledge of BEA than paramedical staff.