Accidental exposures to blood and body fluid in the operation room and the issue of underreporting.
A retrospective review of all exposure injuries affecting members of the operative care line at a single university hospital between January 2000 and December 2007 was performed. A questionnaire survey on current status of adherence to barrier precautions was also completed by 164 staff members. Of 136 exposure injuries, 87 (64.0%) were in surgeons, and 49 (36.0%) were in scrub nurses. Surgeons were most commonly injured during suturing (49, 56%), followed by "handing over sharps" (7, 8%), whereas scrub nurses were most commonly injured during "counting and sorting of sharps" (15, 41%), followed by "handing over sharps," and "splash." The questionnaire survey revealed that compliance with goggles, face shields, and double gloving was poor, and only 9% of respondents routinely used the hands-free technique. Only 22% of staff who had experienced exposure injuries reported every incident. Because circumstances of exposure injuries in operating rooms differ by profession, appropriate preventive measures should address individual situations. To reduce exposure injuries in the operating room, further efforts are required including education, mentoring, and competency training for operation personnel.
Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan. mnagao@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Miki
M
Nagao
Yoshitsugu
Y
Iinuma
Junko
J
Igawa
Yasufumi
Y
Matsumura
Michinori
M
Shirano
Aki
A
Matsushima
Takashi
T
Saito
Shunji
S
Takakura
Satoshi
S
Ichiyama
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D001826:Body Fluids; D003428:Cross Infection; D030881:Disclosure; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013537:Sutures; D016635:Universal Precautions; D000078329:Workforce; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*