title: A large-scale survey on sharp injuries among hospital-based healthcare workers in China.
abstract: A multi-center survey on sharp injuries (SIs) among hospital-based healthcare workers (HCWs) in seven provinces of China between August and December 2011 was performed. In each province, HCWs from at least 30 hospitals were surveyed by completing a SI report form adapted from the EPINet. The HCWs who declared SIs during the period were interviewed by local infection control practitioners. The survey included 361 hospitals and 206,711 HCWs, most of whom were nurses (47.5%) or doctors (28.4%). In the previous month, 17,506 SI incidents were declared by 13,110 (6.3%) HCWs, corresponding to 1,032 incidents per 1,000 HCWs per year and 121.3 per 100 occupied beds per year. The majority of the SIs was caused by a hollow-bore needle (63.0%). The source patient was identified in 73.4% of all SIs but only 4.4% of all exposures involved a source patient who tested positive for HBV (3.3%), HCV (0.4%) or HIV (0.1%). Only 4.6% of SIs were reported to the infection control team in the hospitals. In conclusion, the rate of SI among HCWs is high in China and SI represents a severe but largely neglected problem. Awareness and safety climate should be promoted to protect the safety of HCWs in China.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Bijie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 Xiwu Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi,China.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suo
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control, The First Hospital, China Medical University, 155 Nanjing Road, Shenyang, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Baiyi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control, Guangdong Provincial Hospital, 106 Zhongshan No. 2 Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Tieying
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control, The First affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Jin'ai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases and Department of Infection Control, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Guoxuexiang 37, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Wenzhi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Center of Infectious Diseases and Department of Infection Control, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Guoxuexiang 37, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zong
mesh_terms: D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005843:Geography; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012621:Seasons; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*