TY - JOUR
T1 - Sharps injuries and other blood and body fluid exposures among home health care nurses and aides.
AU - Quinn, Margaret M.
AU - Markkanen, Pia K.
AU - Galligan, Catherine J.
AU - Kriebel, David
AU - Chalupka, Stephanie M.
AU - Kim, Hyun
AU - Gore, Rebecca J.
AU - Sama, Susan R.
AU - Laramie, Angela K.
AU - Davis, Letitia
PY - 2009/11
Y1 - 2009/11
N2 - OBJECTIVES: We quantified risks of sharp medical device (sharps) injuries and other blood and body fluid exposures among home health care nurses and aides, identified risk factors, assessed the use of sharps with safety features, and evaluated underreporting in workplace-based surveillance. METHODS: We conducted a questionnaire survey and workplace-based surveillance, collaborating with 9 home health care agencies and 2 labor unions from 2006 to 2007. RESULTS: Approximately 35% of nurses and 6.4% of aides had experienced at least 1 sharps injury during their home health care career; corresponding figures for other blood and body fluid exposures were 15.1% and 6.7%, respectively. Annual sharps injuries incidence rates were 5.1 per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses and 1.0 per 100 FTE aides. Medical procedures contributing to sharps injuries were injecting medications, administering fingersticks and heelsticks, and drawing blood. Other contributing factors were sharps disposal, contact with waste, and patient handling. Sharps with safety features frequently were not used. Underreporting of sharps injuries to the workplace-based surveillance system was estimated to be about 50%. CONCLUSIONS: Sharps injuries and other blood and body fluid exposures are serious hazards for home health care nurses and aides. Improvements in hazard intervention are needed.
AB - OBJECTIVES: We quantified risks of sharp medical device (sharps) injuries and other blood and body fluid exposures among home health care nurses and aides, identified risk factors, assessed the use of sharps with safety features, and evaluated underreporting in workplace-based surveillance. METHODS: We conducted a questionnaire survey and workplace-based surveillance, collaborating with 9 home health care agencies and 2 labor unions from 2006 to 2007. RESULTS: Approximately 35% of nurses and 6.4% of aides had experienced at least 1 sharps injury during their home health care career; corresponding figures for other blood and body fluid exposures were 15.1% and 6.7%, respectively. Annual sharps injuries incidence rates were 5.1 per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses and 1.0 per 100 FTE aides. Medical procedures contributing to sharps injuries were injecting medications, administering fingersticks and heelsticks, and drawing blood. Other contributing factors were sharps disposal, contact with waste, and patient handling. Sharps with safety features frequently were not used. Underreporting of sharps injuries to the workplace-based surveillance system was estimated to be about 50%. CONCLUSIONS: Sharps injuries and other blood and body fluid exposures are serious hazards for home health care nurses and aides. Improvements in hazard intervention are needed.
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U2 - 10.2105/ajph.2008.150169
DO - 10.2105/ajph.2008.150169
M3 - Article
C2 - 19890177
AN - SCOPUS:73349098244
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 99 Suppl 3
SP - S710-717
JO - American journal of public health
JF - American journal of public health
ER -