[Biological risk accidents among undergraduate healthcare students: five years experience].
Undergraduate healthcare students are exposed to bloodborne pathogens, and data from developing countries is scarce. We report the experience of a comprehensive program dedicated to the management of this risk. The program includes financial coverage, a 24-hour attention system, HIV, HBV, HCV testing, and free provision of post-exposure antiretroviral drugs. During 2003-2007, incidence rates of these exposures reached 0.9 per 100 student-years. Events were only observed among medicine, nursing, and midwifery students, with rates highest among nursing students (RR 3.5 IC95 1.93 - 6.51). Cuts and needle stick injuries predominated (74.7% of accidents). Three students were exposed to HIV patients (1.9%), all of them received prophylactic drugs, infection was discarded after follow up, and also discarded after exposures to HBV or HCV (0.6% of all accidents). Cost per 1000 student-year was less than 2000 USD. Healthcare students are exposed to biological risks during their studies and a comprehensive program is feasible in a developing country.
Fica C
Alberto
A
Comité de Infecciones Intrahospitalarias, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. albertofica@gmail.com
Jemenao P
M Irene
MI
Ruiz R
Gloria
G
Larrondo L
Milton
M
Hurtado H
Carmen
C
Muñoz G
Gabriela
G
Sepulveda C
Cecilia
C
D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D001826:Body Fluids; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*