[Biological risk among health workers]

In health care the contact with body fluids, such as saliva or blood is frequent. The aim of our study was to analyze whether the exposure to biological risks in health care, in particular exposure to HBV and HCV, could cause alterations of some liver parameters.

Our study analyzes of 254 health care workers of a big hospital in Rome. The subjects exposed to biological risks were divided into two groups, one exposed to a high biological risk and the other one exposed to a low biological risk, according to individual duties and/or the departments where they carry out their work. We checked the markers for hepatitis B and C in order to highlight a possible infection, the possible vaccine coverage and the control of the antibody titer by previous infection. We measured the values of transaminases, GGT, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin and fractional proteinaemia total and electrophoresis.

In health care workers exposed to high risk the average values of transaminases, total protein, alkaline phosphatase, gamma GT, total bilirubin were not significant compared to the some values formed in workers exposed to low risk (p > 0.05). Subjects positive for hepatitis B and C were 4% in the group of workers exposed to high risk (class 1) while in the group of workers exposed to low risk (class 2) the percentage of exposed individuals was 0.01% for the hepatitis B and 2.6% for hepatitis C.

We found a small numbers of positive cases of hepatitis B and C in people exposed to biological agents. We did not find alterations of the average values of transaminases, total protein, alkaline phosphatase, gamma GT, total bilirubin and albumin in positive cases, so that we can say that the proper use of personal protective equipment, training and information of workers and the observance of universal precautions are effective in protecting workers.