title: Patients-to-healthcare workers HIV transmission risk from sharp injuries, Southern Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Accidental needlestick injury rate among healthcare workers in Hawassa is extremely high. Epidemiological findings proved the infectious potential of this injury contaminated with a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected patient's blood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed at estimating the risk of HIV transmission from patients to healthcare workers in Hawassa City, Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A probabilistic risk model was employed. Scenario-based assumptions were made for the values of parameters following a review of published reports between 2007 and 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  HIV prevalence, needlestick injury rate, exposure rate, sero-conversion rate, risk of HIV transmission and cumulative risk of HIV transmission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Generally, healthcare workers in Hawassa are considered to be at a relatively low (0.0035%) occupational risk of contracting HIV - less than 4 in 100,000 of healthcare workers in the town (1 in 28,751 workers a year). The 30 years' maximum cumulative risk estimate is approximately five healthcare workers per 1000 workers in the study area. Still, this small number should be considered a serious matter requiring post-exposure prophylaxis following exposure to unsafe medical practice leading to HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. biruck471@yahoo.ca
authors.forename: Biruck
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Desalegn
authors.forename: Hunachew
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beyene
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056990:Post-Exposure Prophylaxis; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment