Reporting of accidental occupational exposures to blood and body fluids by doctors and nurses in the public primary health care setting of sub district F of Johannesburg metropolitan district
Date
2014-08-27
Authors
Mbah, Chukwuemeka Collins
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Abstract
Background: Health Care Workers (HCWs) are at risk of many blood borne infections at the workplace following injuries from sharp instruments and also from exposure of skin and mucous membranes to contaminated blood and body fluids. While the risk of exposure to blood and body fluids (BBF) among first level HCWs can be extrapolated to some degree from the literature on secondary and tertiary level HCWs, the rate of reporting of exposures and the reasons for not reporting may be very different.
Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the rate of, and reasons for underreporting of blood and body fluid exposures by doctors and nurses working in the public primary health care setting of sub district F in the Johannesburg metropolitan district.
Methods: The study was a quantitative descriptive cross sectional survey using an 18-item, self administered, anonymous questionnaire.
Results: The study population included 515 health care workers (HCWs). The response rate was 90.1%. Most of the participants were nurses (87.4%) and female (88.1%). One hundred twelve (25.2%) of the participants reported having at least one BBF exposure in the preceding 12 months. The rate of BBF exposure was 80 per 100 HCWs per year. Two hundred ninety one exposures (82.0%) were not reported. Doctors were at increased odds for not reporting BBF exposures compared to nurses (OR = 2.146; P=0.011). The most common reason given for not reporting exposures was lack of time (42.7%).
Conclusion: There is a high rate of underreporting of BBF exposures in the primary health care setting mostly due to lack of time. The rate of BBF exposure underreporting at this care level is
comparable to that at secondary and tertiary levels. There is a need to improve BBF exposure reporting among workers at primary health care level.
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Thesis (M.Fam.Med.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2014.