Gessessew Amanuel, Kahsu Araya
Department of Gynecology, Mekele Hospital, Tigray.
Ethiop Med J. 2009 Jul;47(3):213-9.
Health care workers are at risk of acquiring blood born infections in their workplace. Needle stick injuries, blood and body fluids contact to non-intact skin and accidental splash to the mucus membrane are known to transmit infections. There is paucity of reports of such type of exposure in Ethiopia.
To assess the incidence of exposure of health care workers to blood and body fluids and their practice to prevent infection after exposure.
A cross sectional study by interviewing all health care workers in six hospitals of Tigray from August 1, 2006 to August 30, 2006.
A total of 618 health care workers were interviewed about exposure in the past three months prior this interview. Needle stick injury was reported in 106 health care workers (17.2%), 348 (56.3%) had contact of blood and body fluid to their skin and 154 (24.9%) reported exposure to their mucus membrane. Working in the delivery room (80.4%) and gynecological wards (75%) had higher risk of exposure to the skin. Regarding their knowledge to preventive measures, only 254 (41.1%) of all health care workers said they wash their skin immediately and 318 (51.5%) flash their eyes with clean water or saline if their skin and mucous membrane are exposed Incorrect method of processing instruments were practiced by high number of health care workers, namely, decontamination by 47.5%, disinfection by 46.5% and sterilization by 41.5% of them.
Health care workers are at a very high risk of exposure to blood and body fluids. Poor efforts are made to prevent infection after exposure. Wrong practice of processing instrument is shown to be high. It is recommended that health care workers should follow and practice all the standard measure to prevent transmission of infection in a clinical setting.
医护人员在工作场所面临感染血源性疾病的风险。针刺伤、血液和体液接触破损皮肤以及意外溅入黏膜均会传播感染。埃塞俄比亚此类暴露的报告较少。
评估医护人员暴露于血液和体液的发生率及其暴露后预防感染的措施。
2006年8月1日至8月30日，通过对提格雷地区六家医院的所有医护人员进行访谈开展横断面研究。
共对618名医护人员进行了访谈，了解他们在本次访谈前三个月内的暴露情况。106名医护人员（17.2%）报告有针刺伤，348名（56.3%）有血液和体液接触皮肤的情况，154名（24.9%）报告有暴露于黏膜的情况。在产房工作（80.4%）和妇科病房工作（75%）的人员皮肤暴露风险较高。关于预防措施的知识，所有医护人员中只有254名（41.1%）表示会立即清洗皮肤，318名（51.5%）表示如果皮肤和黏膜暴露会用清水或生理盐水冲洗眼睛。大量医护人员对器械的处理方法不正确，其中47.5%进行去污，46.5%进行消毒，41.5%进行灭菌。
医护人员暴露于血液和体液的风险非常高。暴露后预防感染的措施不力。器械处理方法错误率较高。建议医护人员应遵循并实施所有标准措施，以防止临床环境中感染的传播。
