Occupational exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus and other blood-borne pathogens. A six-year prospective...

To prospectively study occupational exposures to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other blood-borne pathogens.

Detailed clinical information was collected and follow-up was performed on all health care workers with occupational exposures to potentially infected substances at Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital during the period January 1985 to September 1991.

There were 230 occupational exposures reported. One hundred and forty-one were considered "significant" or "potentially significant"; these involved exposure (or the potential for exposure) to blood or body fluids by the parenteral route or contamination of non-intact skin or mucous membranes. Needle/syringe assemblies accounted for 59% of the "significant" injuries, "butterfly" needles for 21% and lancets for 8%. "Butterfly" needles were over-represented relative to their degree of use. Seventy-seven of the 230 exposures were HIV-related and 27 of these were considered "significant". The number of HIV positive patients attending the hospital increased progressively over the survey period but the rate of HIV-related exposures fell during that time. After 1988, 13 individuals with "significant" exposure to HIV received a six-week prophylactic course of zidovudine. No health care workers seroconverted for HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C during the survey period.

The risk of acquiring HIV (and other blood-borne diseases) through occupational exposure is very low and this risk can be further reduced by adopting safe work practices.