Frequency of exposure incidents in hospital workers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic based on the hospital status and the use of personal protective equipment: a descriptive study with a historical comparison group.
Humans
COVID-19
/ epidemiology
Personal Protective Equipment
/ statistics & numerical data
Occupational Exposure
/ statistics & numerical data
Croatia
/ epidemiology
SARS-CoV-2
Personnel, Hospital
/ statistics & numerical data
Hospitals, University
/ statistics & numerical data
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional
/ prevention & control
Health Personnel
/ statistics & numerical data
Pandemics
Accident prevention
COVID-19
Exposure incidents
Health personnel
Needlestick injuries
Work safety
Journal
BMC infectious diseases
ISSN: 1471-2334
Titre abrégé: BMC Infect Dis
Pays: England
ID NLM: 100968551
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
18 Sep 2024
18 Sep 2024
Historique:
received:
27
01
2024
accepted:
10
09
2024
medline:
19
9
2024
pubmed:
19
9
2024
entrez:
18
9
2024
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
An occupational exposure, i.e. exposure incident (EI), is contact with potentially contaminated material that may contain bloodborne pathogens and that occurs during occupational activities inside or outside a health care facility, either during direct work with a patient or during contact with a patient's body fluids and tissues. This study aimed to compare the frequency of EIs in a university hospital before and during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This was a descriptive study with a historical comparison group conducted at the Dubrava University Hospital (DUH) in Zagreb, Croatia. We compared the frequency of EIs among healthcare and non-healthcare workers before (from March 11, 2018, to March 10, 2020) and during (from March 11, 2020, to March 11, 2022) the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed as the number of EIs per number of hospitalized patients and the total number of hospital activities. We analyzed data based on the status of the hospital (a COVID-19 hospital or not) and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as recommended by the World Health Organization. During the total analyzed period, 241 EIs were reported in DUH. Before the pandemic, 128 EIs were reported, compared to 113 during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, 91% of EIs were recorded in healthcare workers, while during the pandemic, 96% of EIs were recorded in healthcare workers. Slightly more EIs were recorded during the period of mixed work form and de-escalation of PPE. The rate of EIs relative to the total number of hospital patients was significantly higher during the pandemic (3.9/1000) than in the pre-pandemic period (2.5/1000). The rate of EIs relative to the total number of hospital activities was significantly higher during the pandemic (0.4/1000) than in the pre-pandemic period (0.2/1000). The rate of EIs relative to the total number of hospitalized patients and the total number of hospital activities in DUH was significantly higher during the pandemic, and the rate of total EIs increased among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study show that it is necessary to constantly and effectively work on the prevention of EI.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
An occupational exposure, i.e. exposure incident (EI), is contact with potentially contaminated material that may contain bloodborne pathogens and that occurs during occupational activities inside or outside a health care facility, either during direct work with a patient or during contact with a patient's body fluids and tissues. This study aimed to compare the frequency of EIs in a university hospital before and during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
METHODS
METHODS
This was a descriptive study with a historical comparison group conducted at the Dubrava University Hospital (DUH) in Zagreb, Croatia. We compared the frequency of EIs among healthcare and non-healthcare workers before (from March 11, 2018, to March 10, 2020) and during (from March 11, 2020, to March 11, 2022) the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed as the number of EIs per number of hospitalized patients and the total number of hospital activities. We analyzed data based on the status of the hospital (a COVID-19 hospital or not) and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as recommended by the World Health Organization.
RESULTS
RESULTS
During the total analyzed period, 241 EIs were reported in DUH. Before the pandemic, 128 EIs were reported, compared to 113 during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, 91% of EIs were recorded in healthcare workers, while during the pandemic, 96% of EIs were recorded in healthcare workers. Slightly more EIs were recorded during the period of mixed work form and de-escalation of PPE. The rate of EIs relative to the total number of hospital patients was significantly higher during the pandemic (3.9/1000) than in the pre-pandemic period (2.5/1000). The rate of EIs relative to the total number of hospital activities was significantly higher during the pandemic (0.4/1000) than in the pre-pandemic period (0.2/1000).
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
The rate of EIs relative to the total number of hospitalized patients and the total number of hospital activities in DUH was significantly higher during the pandemic, and the rate of total EIs increased among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study show that it is necessary to constantly and effectively work on the prevention of EI.
Identifiants
pubmed: 39294561
doi: 10.1186/s12879-024-09911-y
pii: 10.1186/s12879-024-09911-y
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Comparative Study
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
995Informations de copyright
© 2024. The Author(s).
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