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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an (A)BSL-4 Laboratory: 3. Aerobiology
Published on: October 3, 2016
[Biological risk accidents among undergraduate healthcare students: five years experience]
Alberto Fica C1, M Irene Jemenao P, Gloria Ruiz R
1Comité de Infecciones Intrahospitalarias, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. albertofica@gmail.com
Abstract:
Undergraduate healthcare students are exposed to bloodborne pathogens, and data from developing countries is scarce. We report the experience of a comprehensive program dedicated to the management of this risk. The program includes financial coverage, a 24-hour attention system, HIV, HBV, HCV testing, and free provision of post-exposure antiretroviral drugs. During 2003-2007, incidence rates of these exposures reached 0.9 per 100 student-years. Events were only observed among medicine, nursing, and midwifery students, with rates highest among nursing students (RR 3.5 IC95 1.93 - 6.51). Cuts and needle stick injuries predominated (74.7% of accidents). Three students were exposed to HIV patients (1.9%), all of them received prophylactic drugs, infection was discarded after follow up, and also discarded after exposures to HBV or HCV (0.6% of all accidents). Cost per 1000 student-year was less than 2000 USD. Healthcare students are exposed to biological risks during their studies and a comprehensive program is feasible in a developing country.
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