Occupational Body Fluid Exposures in Health Care Workers at a University Hospital: A Three Year Retrospective Study

Introduction
Body fluid exposures (BFE) impact the physical and psychological well being of health of health care workers (HCWs) worldwide. The main objective of this research is to determine the extent that mandated engineered sharps injury prevention devices (ESIPDs) and personal protective equipment (PPE) are used.

Methods
The setting is a Tertiary Care University Hospital in an urban setting. The study population consists of all HCWs at risk for BFE (7/06-6/09). Two pilot tested questionnaires completed by HCWs who incurred a BFE, assessing sharps and splash injuries, were evaluated retrospectively. Data items included demographics, mechanism of injury, and details surrounding use of ESIPDs or PPE. Standard descriptive statistics used to characterize HCWs. Chi-Square analysis was used to determine significant relationships. A p-value of > 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results
Sharps injury was responsible for 71% of the BFEs; suturing was the most frequently reported activity. The ESIPD activation rate was 40%. Most splash exposures (86%) were to the eyes; 4% used protective eyewear. The BFE rate did not decrease over the 3-year study period. No difference was found in type of injury or demographics for those who did not complete the questionnaire.

Discussion
A significant number of sharps injures were due to sutures and scalpels. Less than half of those using ESIPDs activated them. Despite the significant number of eye exposures only 4% wore eye protection. These data suggest that targeted interventions toward increasing activation of safety devices and increasing use of eye protection use may work toward reducing the incidence of BFEs. The study is limited in that it is observational and only one institution is studied.