Predictive factors for percutaneous and mucocutaneous exposure among healthcare workers in a developing country

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the risk factors for percutaneous and mucocutaneous exposures in healthcare workers (HCW) in one of the largest centers of a middle income country, Turkey. This study has a retrospective design. HCWs who presented between August 2011 and June 2013, with Occupational Exposures (OEs) (cases) and those without (controls) were included. Demographic information was collected from infection control committee documents. A questionnaire was used to ask the HCWs about their awareness of preventive measures. HCWs who work with intensive work loads such as those found in emergency departments or intensive care units have a higher risk of OEs. Having heavy workloads and hours increases the risk of percutaneous and mucocutaneous exposures. For that reason the most common occupation groups are nurses and cleaning staff who are at risk of OEs. Increasing work experience has reduced the frequency of OEs.

Exposure to Occupational Hazards among Health Care Workers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review

“…The incidence of needlestick injuries was reported in two studies. A study conducted in Kenya reported an incidence rate of 0.97 needlestick injuries per health care worker per year [ 42 ] and a study from Turkey reported an incidence of 2.18 exposures/person-years [ 59 ].…”

“…Needlestick injuries were more common than accidental splashes [ 38 , 45 , 55 , 57 , 58 ], and syringes caused most of the needlestick injuries [ 43 , 45 , 48 , 51 ]. The highest frequencies of injuries were reported by nurses, doctors (mainly surgeons and interns), dental personnel, and cleaners [ 27 , 28 , 31 , 32 , 43 , 45 , 46 , 48 , 51 , 55 , 57 , 59 , 61 , 63 ]. The risk factors for injuries were lack of training, heavy workloads, long working hours, not using gloves, recapping of needles, and using syringes frequently [ 37 , 43 , 48 , 51 , 59 ].…”

“…The highest frequencies of injuries were reported by nurses, doctors (mainly surgeons and interns), dental personnel, and cleaners [27,28,31,32,43,45,46,48,51,55,57,59,61,63]. The risk factors for injuries were lack of training, heavy workloads, long working hours, not using gloves, recapping of needles, and using syringes frequently [37,43,48,51,59].…”

A Cross-Sectional Survey on Occupational Blood and Body Fluid Exposure Risk in a Tertiary Hospital in East Malaysia

“…This is comparable to other studies where nurses frequently experienced OBBE. 4 , 5 , 15 Nurses have frequent contact with patients and perform most of the procedures such as blood collection, intravenous line insertion, and medication administration. In France, nurses and nursing students accounted for 4587 (60%) exposures, followed by nurses’ aides and clinicians; most were related to NSI.…”

Visualization and bibliometric analysis of occupational exposure among nurses in Asia

“…One study demonstrated that approximately 80,000 healthcare workers worldwide are infected by needlestick injuries annually [ 3 ]. Occupational exposure risks are higher in developing countries than developed countries due to lacking resources for implementing safety strategies [ 8 , 9 ].…”