Exposures to blood and body fluids in Brazilian primary health care

Background Primary health care workers (HCWs) represent a growing occupational group worldwide. They are at risk of infection with blood-borne pathogens because of occupational exposures to blood and body fluids (BBF). Aim To investigate BBF exposure and its associated factors among primary HCWs. Me...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Occupational medicine (Oxford) 2009-03, Vol.59 (2), p.107-113
Main Authors: Garcia, Leila Posenato, Facchini, Luiz Augusto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Blood-Borne Pathogens
Body Fluids - microbiology
Body Fluids - virology
Brazil - epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Cross-sectional study
Female
health care workers
Health participants
Health Personnel - statistics & numerical data
Humans
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional - statistics & numerical data
Male
Medical sciences
Needlestick Injuries - epidemiology
occupational epidemiology
Occupational Exposure - statistics & numerical data
occupational injury
Primary Health Care - statistics & numerical data
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
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Summary:Background Primary health care workers (HCWs) represent a growing occupational group worldwide. They are at risk of infection with blood-borne pathogens because of occupational exposures to blood and body fluids (BBF). Aim To investigate BBF exposure and its associated factors among primary HCWs. Methods Cross-sectional study among workers from municipal primary health care centres in Florianópolis, Southern Brazil. Workers who belonged to occupational categories that involved BBF exposures during the preceding 12 months were interviewed and included in the data analysis. Results A total of 1077 workers participated. The mean incidence rate of occupational BBF exposures was 11.9 per 100 full-time equivalent worker-years (95% confidence interval: 8.4–15.3). The cumulative prevalence was 7% during the 12 months preceding the interview. University-level education, employment as a nurse assistant, dental assistant or dentist, higher workload score, inadequate working conditions, having sustained a previous occupational accident and current smoking were associated with BBF exposures (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions Primary Health Care Centres are working environments in which workers are at risk of BBF exposures. Exposure surveillance systems should be created to monitor their occurrence and to guide the implementation of preventive strategies.
ISSN:0962-7480
1471-8405
DOI:10.1093/occmed/kqn174