Infection risks in hospital staff from blood: hazardous injury rates and acceptance of hepatitis B immunization.

A questionnaire survey of 1800 clinical health care staff was undertaken to determine hazardous injury rates and uptake of hepatitis B vaccination. The overall sharps injury rate was 116 injuries per 100 staff per year. Full-time doctors had the highest rates. Surgical procedures were the commonest cause of accidental injury (58 per cent) and 30 per cent of all sharps injuries were attributable to careless handling. Injuries caused by bites and scratches from patients occurred mainly in nurses and auxilliaries in psychiatric and geriatric wards (115/100 staff per year). Twenty-four per cent of respondents had received a full course of hepatitis B vaccine and 51 per cent of the remainder were planning to have, or were in the process of receiving, a course. The most frequent reason given for not being vaccinated was lack of information about vaccination. This survey reveals injury rates higher than those observed in previous reports, particularly in doctors, and shows a need for more information and advice about hepatitis B infection and vaccination to be targeted to health care workers at risk.