Occupational Sharp Injuries and Biological Markers of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Viral Infection in Nurses

Abstract

Background: Nurses are at risk for occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens (BBP), including hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Occupational exposure to BBP among nurses includes percutaneous injuries with sharp objects or contacts of mucous membranes or nonintact skin with blood, tissues, or other potentially infectious body fluids. Objective: To determine frequency of occupational sharp injuries, and to evaluate association between occupational sharp injuries and occurrence of biological markers of HBV and HCV infection in nurses. Method: We performed cross-sectional study including 54 nurses (50 females, 4 males; aged 30-61 years) (Group I) engaged in workplace tasks characterized by possibility for occupational exposure to BBP including HBV and HCV. Additionally, 32 workers (25 females, 7 males; aged 21-64 years) (Group II) from health care system with workplace tasks which don’t include possibility for occupational exposure to HBV and HCV were studied. Evaluation of examined subjects included completion of questionnaire, and laboratory tests for biological markers of viral infection (HBsAg, Anti-HBc-Ab, Anti-HCV-Ab). Results: Data showed that needle-stick injuries (81.5%) were significantly more frequent than instrument injuries (61.1%) in examined nurses. Positive Anti-HBc-Ab were more frequently detected in nurses than in subjects from Group II with statistically significant difference (25.9% vs. 6.3%; P<0.05). Positive Anti-HBc-Ab status was registered only among nurses with percutaneous injuries at work. Conclusion: Determination of frequency of percutaneous injuries at work with sharp objects should be one of the key elements in the process of identification of agents and dangers at the specific workplace - nurse.