Occupational blood exposure among health care workers: I. Frequency and reporting

The frequency and reporting rate concerning occupational blood exposure were investigated among former and currently employed medical staff at a Department of Infectious Diseases (DID) having a high prevalence of HIV-positive patients. Subjects were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire describing occupational percutaneous exposure (PCE) and mucocutaneous exposure (MCE) to blood, experienced during their employment at the DID. 135 out of 168 (80%) subjects responded. 45 subjects described 37 incidents of PCE and 15 of MCE. 44 of the exposures (85%) involved HIV-positive blood and 6 (11.5%) involved blood from a patient with hepatitis B. Annual incidence rates of PCE and MCE were: for A) interns and residents, 0.51 PCE/year and 0.17 MCE/year; B) for senior residents and senior physicians, 0.13 PCE/year and 0.21 MCE/year; C) for registered nurses, 0.11 PCE/year and 0.03 MCE/year; D) for auxiliary nurses, 0.09 PCE/year and 0.11 MCE/year. 35% of PCE and 87% of MCE were not reported to the security representative, the major reason being that the subject felt it to be unnecessary. We conclude that medical employment, especially as interns and residents at clinics for infectious diseases, carries a real and serious risk of contracting infectious diseases due to occupational exposure to blood. The importance of reporting needs to be emphasized.