title: Practices and impacts post-exposure to blood and body fluid in operating room nurses: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Improper or inadequate actions taken after blood and body fluid exposures place individuals at risk for infection with bloodborne pathogens. This has potential, significant impact for health and well-being.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the practices and the personal impact experienced following blood and body fluid exposures among operating room nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional, multi-center study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Government and private hospitals from all parts of Thailand.
  
  
  METHODS
  Operating room nurses from 247 hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire eliciting responses on characteristics, post-exposure practices, and impacts was sent to 2500 operating room nurses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Usable questionnaires were returned by 2031 operating room nurses (81.2%). Of these 1270 had experience with blood and body fluid exposures (62.5%). Most operating room nurses did not report blood and body fluid exposures (60.9%). The major reasons of underreporting were low risk source (40.2%) and belief that they were not important to report (16.3%). Improper post-exposure practices were identified, 9.8% did not clean exposure area immediately, 18.0% squeezed out the wound, and 71.1% used antiseptic solution for cleansing a puncture wound. Post-exposure, 58.5% of them sought counseling, 16.3% took antiretroviral prophylaxis, 23.8% had serologic testing for hepatitis B and 43.1% for hepatitis C. The main personal impacts were anxiety (57.7%), stress (24.2%), and insomnia (10.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High underreporting, inappropriate post-exposure practices and impacts of exposure were identified from this study. Comprehensive education and effective training of post-exposure management may be keys to resolving these important problems.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nursing Science, Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Electronic address: nongyaok2003@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nongyao
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kasatpibal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: JoAnne D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Whitney
authors.affiliation: Operating Room and Recovery Room Service, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
authors.forename: Sadubporn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katechanok
authors.affiliation: Operating Room and Recovery Room Service, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
authors.forename: Sukanya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ngamsakulrat
authors.affiliation: Operating Room and Recovery Room Service, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
authors.forename: Benjawan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Malairungsakul
authors.affiliation: Operating Room, Rajavithi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Pinyo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sirikulsathean
authors.affiliation: Operating Room, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Chutatip
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nuntawinit
authors.affiliation: Operating Room, Police General Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Thanisara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muangnart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001769:Blood; D001826:Body Fluids; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009740:Nursing Staff; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D009873:Operating Rooms; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Blood–body fluid exposures; Impacts; Needlesticks; Nurses; Operating room; Post-exposure; Practices; Sharp injuries