What were the changes during the COVID-19 pandemic era concerning occupational risks among health care workers?

Abstract

Background Accidental exposure to percutaneous needle stick and sharp injuries (NSSIs) and blood and other body fluids is the unintended contact with risky medical instruments or patient secretions during a medical intervention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the significance of occupational injuries in healthcare professionals was revealed once again. To assess the occupational injuries, we compared rates, distribution and type of exposure to blood and body fluids and NSSIs of health care workers for 2019 (pre-pandemic era) and 2020 (pandemic era) years, respectively. Material and methods Our study included data collected by the ‘Hospital Infection Control Committee’ for the years 2019–2020. Data collected using the active surveillance method were analyzed retrospectively. Results During 2019 (pre-pandemic period) and 2020 (pandemic period), 112 (27.65% 0 ) and 82 (21.4% 0 ) NSSIs reported, respectively. Of the exposed HCWs in 2019 (pre-pandemic period), 16.8% 0 (14) were doctor, 53.6% 0 (60) were nurse and 47.4% 0 (14) were intern doctors. In the 2020 (pandemic period), NSSIs were observed most frequently in nurses and cleaning staff, 50.24% 0 and 33.64% 0 , respectively. Concerning the total percentage of exposure to blood and other body fluids, a slight increase was revealed from 1.48% 0 to 2.62% 0 in 2019 and 2020, respectively. A significant decrease in exposure rate was reported among the doctors between the pre-pandemic and pandemic era; 3.6% 0 and 1.19% 0 at 2019 and 2020, respectively. A significant increase in exposure rate was reported among the nurses between pre-pandemic and pandemic era; 0.8% 0 and 6.89% 0 , respectively. Conclusion In conclusion, the exposure to NSSIs during the pandemic period decreased; however, there was no severe difference at pre-pandemic and pandemic periods concerning exposure to blood and body fluids. Well-designed training and awareness programs can be effective in preventing exposure to NSSIs and blood and other body fluids and exposure to respiratory acquired viruses.

The relations between emotion regulation, depression and anxiety among medical staff during the late stage of COVID-19 pandemic: a network analysis

“…The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been identified as a public health concern globally, threatening individuals’ physical and mental health ( Fiorillo & Gorwood, 2020 ; Kumar & Nayar, 2021 ). Serving as crisis management personnel, medical staff are exposed to a high range of occupational risks whose severity and likelihood have increased since the pandemic outbreak (Blanco-Donoso et al, 2020; Diktas et al, 2021 ; El‐Boghdadly et al, 2020; Franklin & Gkiouleka, 2021 ; Veziant et al, 2020). Several well-documented risk factors faced by the medical staff in the workplace during COVID-19 include high workload, direct contact with infected individuals, facing a higher rate of moral dilemmas (e.g., taking decisions about life and death), limited collegial and managerial support, perceived helplessness due to lack of experience or equipment and prolonged separation from families ( Gohar et al, 2020 ; Fang et al, 2021 ; Shanafelt et al, 2020 ; Walton & Christian, 2020; Wang et al, 2020 ).…”

Prevention from Sharp Injuries in the Hospital Sector: An Italian National Observatory on the Implementation of the Council Directive 2010/32/EU before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…A study on organizational resilience processes among HCWs in Switzerland in the first year of the pandemic found that the difficulties in implementing COVID guidelines and protection measures fell in the category of problematic situations associated with the development of new standards, that is, HCWs became used to new ways of working and developed new skills to perform effectively [ 45 ]. A retrospective study performed at Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, found that sharp injuries rates per 1000 healthcare workers decreased during the pandemic period, mainly due to the procurement of personal protective equipment and organizing well-designed training and awareness programs at the beginning and during the COVID-19 pandemic period, even if the possibility of underreporting may limit the significance of the results [ 46 ].…”

The impact of a pandemic on dental professionals' work and personal lives: A qualitative study with implications for primary healthcare workers

“…However, congruently, they also had to contend with changes in their practices including retraining and redeployment to cope with the rapidly increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases ( 20 ). This is particularly true for frontline nurses who must adapt to the increased workloads, discomfort with extra layers of PPEs and greater risk of exposure to occupational hazards, including contact with contaminated instruments and patient secretions, contributing to higher anxiety not only for their own safety but that of their families ( 29 ).…”