Occupational Medicine & Health Affairs
Open Access

Abstract

Occupational blood and body fluid exposures (BBFEs) including needlestick injuries, sharp injuries, and splashes occur frequently in hospitals worldwide. The incidence and prevalence of BBFEs are high in the emergency department, operating room, intensive care unit, and laboratory. Nurses, surgeons, medical doctors, and laboratory technicians are high risk groups of healthcare workers (HCWs) faced with BBFEs. Most common devices causing percutaneous injuries were hollow-bore needles, suture needles, and scalpel blades. Risk factors for BBFEs are sex, age, educational level, department of work, job position, working experience, working hours, training without a practice component, haste, lack of hazard awareness, inadequate staff, not wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), and outdated practice guidelines. Additionally, many studies demonstrate that the occurrence of BBFEs are underreported. Underreporting may result in improper actions and delay management after exposure to BBFEs. Occupational BBFE has significant impacts on physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being such as emotional trauma, social stigma, unpleasant side effects of antiretroviral drug, and infection risk. It also increases medical expenses for exposed HCWs due to the costs of laboratory testing and post-exposure prophylaxis and treatment if required. In addition, it may result in loss of employee time and cost of replacing staff. Regarding prevention of infection, vaccination such as hepatitis B vaccine should be provided to all HCWs who work in high risk settings. In addition, up-to-date practice guidelines and manuals, adequate staff, adequate PPE, training that includes practice of safety skills, building self-awareness, and safety-engineered devices may help to reduce BBFEs among HCWs.

Biography

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