title: Surgical Procedure Characteristics and Risk of Sharps-Related Blood and Body Fluid Exposure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE To use a unique multicomponent administrative data set assembled at a large academic teaching hospital to examine the risk of percutaneous blood and body fluid (BBF) exposures occurring in operating rooms. DESIGN A 10-year retrospective cohort design. SETTING A single large academic teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS All surgical procedures (n=333,073) performed in 2001-2010 as well as 2,113 reported BBF exposures were analyzed. METHODS Crude exposure rates were calculated; Poisson regression was used to analyze risk factors and account for procedure duration. BBF exposures involving suture needles were examined separately from those involving other device types to examine possible differences in risk factors. RESULTS The overall rate of reported BBF exposures was 6.3 per 1,000 surgical procedures (2.9 per 1,000 surgical hours). BBF exposure rates increased with estimated patient blood loss (17.7 exposures per 1,000 procedures with 501-1,000 cc blood loss and 26.4 exposures per 1,000 procedures with >1,000 cc blood loss), number of personnel working in the surgical field during the procedure (34.4 exposures per 1,000 procedures having ≥15 personnel ever in the field), and procedure duration (14.3 exposures per 1,000 procedures lasting 4 to <6 hours, 27.1 exposures per 1,000 procedures lasting ≥6 hours). Regression results showed associations were generally stronger for suture needle-related exposures. CONCLUSIONS Results largely support other studies found in the literature. However, additional research should investigate differences in risk factors for BBF exposures associated with suture needles and those associated with all other device types. Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;37(1):80-87.
authors.affiliation: 1Occupational and Environmental Medicine Division,Department of Community and Family Medicine,Duke University Medical Center,Durham,North Carolina.
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: 1Occupational and Environmental Medicine Division,Department of Community and Family Medicine,Duke University Medical Center,Durham,North Carolina.
authors.forename: Hester J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lipscomb
authors.affiliation: 1Occupational and Environmental Medicine Division,Department of Community and Family Medicine,Duke University Medical Center,Durham,North Carolina.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Epling
authors.affiliation: 3Division of Biological Safety,Duke University Medical Center,Durham,North Carolina.
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Orthopedic Surgery,Duke University Medical Center,Durham,North Carolina.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.affiliation: 5Department of Sociology,Duke University,Durham,North Carolina.
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smith-Lovin
authors.affiliation: 1Occupational and Environmental Medicine Division,Department of Community and Family Medicine,Duke University Medical Center,Durham,North Carolina.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dement
mesh_terms: D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001810:Blood Volume; D001826:Body Fluids; D013502:General Surgery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009873:Operating Rooms; D061646:Operative Time; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013523:Surgical Equipment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data