title: Bloodborne pathogen exposure risk among surgeons in sub-Saharan Africa.
abstract: To document the frequency and circumstances of bloodborne pathogen exposures among surgeons in sub-Saharan Africa, we surveyed surgeons attending the 2006 Pan-African Association of Surgeons conference. During the previous year, surgeons sustained a mean of 3.1 percutaneous injuries, which were typically caused by suture needles. They sustained a mean of 4.1 exposures to blood and body fluid, predominantly from blood splashes to the eyes. Fewer than half of the respondents reported completion of hepatitis B vaccination, and postexposure prophylaxis for human immunodeficiency virus was widely available. Surgeons reported using hands-free passing and blunt suture needles. Non-fluid-resistant cotton gowns and masks were the barrier garments worn most frequently.
authors.affiliation: International Healthcare Worker Safety Center, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. ekp2e@virginia.edu
authors.forename: Elayne Kornblatt
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Owusu-Ofori
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jagger
mesh_terms: D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000453:epidemiology; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D003625:Data Collection; D013502:General Surgery; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010820:Physicians
chemical_list: D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines