Occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens in a tertiary hospital: benchmarking using patient days

Incidence and risk factors for occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens (OEBBPs) in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia was assessed. Reported sharps injuries from 2009 to 2010 were analyzed and benchmarked using patient days. OEBBPs caused by sharps injuries increased from 41 in 2009 to 65 in 2010, with an incidence rate of 4.09/10 000 patient days in 2009 and 5.9/10 000 patient days in 2010. Most episodes (41%) occurred during recapping of hollow bore needles after obtaining blood specimens. The highest incidence was among nursing staff(n/N = 87/106; 82%), and injuries also occurred in housekeeping staff (3.7%). A correlationbetween morning shift and OEBBPs was observed, and the highest number of episodes occurred in the emergency room (21.5%) and renal dialysis unit (16.9%). There was exposure to HCV (n = 13) and HBV (n = 4) but not to HIV (n = 0), and no seroconversions were documented. Education on adherence to universal precaution measures and use of safety engineered devices as well as the introduction of an OEBBP notification hotline are recommended.