[Assessment of liberal physician's occupational risks management on the exposure to biological fluids]

During their practice, liberal physicians might have a risk of viral exposure to biological fluids. That risk is well-known in hospitals. The purpose of this study was to measure those occupational risks into their own private practice.

This observational descriptive transversal multicentral, epidemiological study is based on the information collected from 400 physicians (general practitioners, ENT specialists, dermatologists, pediatricians, rheumatologists and gynecologists), working in own private practice in Lorraine. They received by post a confidential survey consisting of multiple-choice and open questions, asking for their activity, their risks of being exposed to biological fluids, their vaccine coverage and their potentially infectious medical waste (PIMW) management.

Among 175 physicians who replied to the survey, 153 did invasive procedures and 58 encountered an accidental blood exposure (ABE). The execution of invasive procedures was the main factor in having an ABE (P=0.0023). Around 89.5 % of the complications were due to percutaneous injuries. Still 30.9 % of the physicians always recapped needles and 40 % hadn't a complementary health cover. More than 82 % were up-to-date on mandatory vaccinations (hepatitis B and diphtheria-tetanus-poliomyelitis). In private practice, 97.6 % of physicians sort out blunt objects (prickly or sharp), which is quite satisfactory in comparison with only 60.5 % of them who sort out soft wastes and 44.6 % of blunt objects at patient's home.

Even if physician's blunt objects disposal in private practice and their mandatory vaccination are satisfactory, "standard" precautions, safety equipment use and soft wastes disposal can be improved.