Body fluid exposure in nurses of Fars province, Southern Iran

Blood and body fluid exposures place healthcare workers at risk for blood-borne infections. To determine the extent of the problem in Iran, we assessed blood and body fluid exposure in healthcare workers in Fars Province hospitals.

We distributed 2,118 questionnaires using a stratified random sampling method among nurses of these hospitals. We used Chi-square test, Student's t-test, and multiple logistic regression analysis for determining risk factors for exposure.

The overall prevalence of blood and body fluid exposures was 79% with a rate of exposure to sharps devices of 50%. Hypodermic needles were involved in most exposures (73%) with the most common source of injury being needle recapping (35%). Blood was the most frequent contaminant (87%) in mucocutaneous exposures, most commonly associated with inserting and removing intravenous lines (50%). Sharps injuries were independently associated with gender, professional level, and hospital location; mucocutaneous exposures were related to professional level and hospital location. Only 28% of nurses reported their exposures.

The high level of risk found among nurses in Fars Province highlights the urgent need for interventions to enhance their occupational safety and to prevent unnecessary transmission of blood-borne viruses.