Reducing percutaneous injuries at an academic health center: a 5-year review.
BACKGROUND
The University of Connecticut Health Center Employee Health Service collected and used National Surveillance System for Hospital Health Care Workers (NaSH) data to (1) improve surveillance of health care worker blood and body fluid exposures (BBFEs) and (2) target specific interventions for higher-risk groups (nursing staff, medical and dental students, and residents).


METHODS
All 870 BBFE incidents were abstracted from the NaSH database from the 1997 through 2002 academic years. Incidence rates per 100 full-time-equivalent workers were determined for each targeted occupation group with 95% confidence intervals.


RESULTS
The number of percutaneous injuries declined among medical/dental students and nursing staff, and to a lesser degree for residents. The incidence rates decreased from 7.9% in 2000 to 2001 to 2.6% in 2001 to 2002 for students and from 9.2% in 1997 to 1998 to 2.7% in 2001 to 2002 for nursing staff.


CONCLUSIONS
Data from a surveillance database provided guidance for administrative, educational, and engineering control interventions. Active surveillance and periodic review of interventions are important aspects to reduce BBFEs in targeted high-risk occupational groups, especially when the workforce has a high turnover, as is typical in academic health centers.
Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, USA.
Marcia
M
Trapé-Cardoso
Paula
P
Schenck
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012308:Risk Management