[Accidents with exposure to biological material contaminated with HIV in workers at a third level hospital in Madrid].
BACKGROUND
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is an occupational hazard among healthcare professionals accidentally contaminated with HIV-positive blood. This study is aimed at describing the characteristics of the accidents involving blood of HIV-positive patients recorded over a sixteen-year period at a general hospital.


METHODS
Epidemiological study of the accidents reported in 2001 involving biological material from an HIV-positive source by the healthcare personnel of a general hospital throughout the 1986-2001 period entailing the presence of biological material from HIV-positive serology individuals. Individual, time and place-related variables, in addition to the initial serologies and those throughout the protocolized follow-up were studied for those individuals involved in these accidents.


RESULTS
A total 550 accidents entailing an HIV-positive source were reported. The average number of accidents was 34.4/year. The accidental exposure rate for the period under study was 7.5/1000 workers/year. The professional group showing the highest accident rate was the nursing staff (54.4%). Percutaneous injuries were the most frequent (80.2%). The mean exposure rate was 2.6/100 beds/year. The anatomical areas involved to the greatest degree were the fingers (75.6%). A total 53.4% of those injured completed the serological follow-up without having shown any seroconversion.


CONCLUSIONS
Throughout the sixteen-year period under study, the annual incidence of accidents involving an HIV-positive source increased from the 27 accidents reported in 1986 to the 60 accidents reported in 1990, there having been a downward trend as of that point in time, to the point of 12 accidents having been recorded in 2001.
García de Codes Ilario
Aurelia
A
Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Carretera de Andalucía s/n 28041 Madrid. jrjp@medynet.com
de Juanes Pardo
José Ramón
JR
Arrazola Martínez
M del Pilar
Mdel P
Jaén Herreros
Felisa
F
Sanz Gallardo
M Inmaculada
MI
Lago López
Emilia
E
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D013030:Spain