title: Nurses and occupational exposures to bloodborne viruses in Poland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To record descriptions of occupational exposures to blood, determine factors predictive of exposure, and identify interventions that might reduce the frequency of exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  An analytic, cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 601 nurses from surgical wards, operating rooms, and emergency departments. STUDY INSTRUMENT: An anonymous questionnaire developed by the authors on the basis of previously published guidelines was distributed between January and March 2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random, with 18 hospitals selected from 2 urban and rural locations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost half of respondents reported having had at least 1 puncture injury during the preceding year, 1 in 5 had exposure via mucous membranes, and more than half had worked at least once with a recent abrasion or cut on their hands. The number of injuries was independent of age (P=.26), duration of practice (P=.21), and workplace setting (P=.78). The percentage of nurses without percutaneous exposure during the preceding year was significantly higher in the group that received special HIV/AIDS training than in the group that did not (95% confidence interval, 5.8-24.1%; P<.002). The most recent exposure was primarily caused by hollow-bore needles, involved the palm and fingers II-V, was self-inflicted, took place during an elective procedure, and was not reported to the hospital's infection control center by 74% of respondents. The most common reason for not reporting the exposure (38% of cases) was the conviction that the source patient was not infected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of the large number of occupational exposures to blood, especially those due to injuries with hollow-bore needles, nurses should adopt more adequate behavioral strategies to prevent the transmission of blood-borne pathogens. Policies for providing adequate education programs tailored to encourage nurses to report all exposures are urgently required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland. ganczak2@wp.pl
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gańczak
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milona
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szych
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011044:Poland; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires