Assessment of university clinic staff’s professional exposure to blood

Purpose: To evaluate the employees' professional exposure to blood, their organization of registration and used immunoprophylaxis measures. Objectives: 1. To assess frequency and type of the occurred professional expose to blood. 2. To assess the use of personal protective measures. 3. To assess the organization of registration of professional expose to blood. 4. To assess the nature of the applied immunoprophylaxis measures. The study methodology. The survey was conducted in 2008 at Vilnius University Santariškės Clinic surgical profile and critical care units. There was anonymous questionnaire survey conducted. There were 311 questionnaires handed out, 262 questionnaires were received completed. Response rate is 84.2 ℅. Obtained statistical data analysis was performed using program SPSS 13.0 for MS Windows. There was also a qualitative study conducted, Infection control and Work safety department personnel were interviewed. Results. Microtraumas were suffered by 53 % of nurses, 34 % of doctors and 13 % of support staff. Doctors and surgical nurses mostly got wounded by surgical needles (44.1 %), general practitioners (87 %), and anaesthesiology and intensive care nurses (87 %) – by injection needles. In many cases doctors got wounded during surgery (50 %), general practice nurses – by using instruments (50 %), support staff – by handling of waste (73.7 %). 15 % of employees suffered skin or mucous membrane contact with blood. At the time of getting microtraumas 92.2 % of employees were wearing single gloves, 5.4 % - double gloves, and 2.4 % employees did not wear gloves at the time of the incident. At the time of skin or mucous membrane contact with blood the most commonly used personal protective measure was single gloves – 56 %. In 2002, after registration of the incidents had begun, the first notification was received only after 2 months. Inexperienced employees often suffer from professional expose to blood. When the studying person had suffered professional expose to blood, the same incident investigation, registration and monitoring system as well as for all hospital employees must be carried out. 62 % of all employees participated in the study were vaccinated by full vaccination course. Conclusions: 1. More than a third of the respondents had microtraumas in the first half of year 2008. 2. After examination of microtraumas circumstances it was determined that not all employees were wearing appropriate protective measures. 3. Professional expose to blood was begun to be registered after registration rules had been drafted and approved. 4. Most employees involved in the study (62 %) were vaccinated by full course of vaccination and a small part (19 %) was not vaccinated