BODY-FLUID EXPOSURE IN AN URBAN TERTIARY CARE MEDICAL-CENTER

The increasing prevalences of the human immunodeficiency (HIV) and hep atitis B viruses have focused attention on the risks that health care workers face when exposed to potentially infective body fluids. This s tudy establishes a profile of 320 parenteral exposure incidents and 47 exposure incidents to mucous membranes or abraded skin, reported in o ur medical center between July 1988 and July 1990. We found that 102 ( 27.8%) of the incidents involved an HIV-positive patient, that 130 (35 .4%) of the reporting employees had completed their hepatitis B vaccin ation at the time of the incident, and that, although the majority of incidents involved employees with patient contact, unfortunately, serv ice workers also were represented (4.6%, n = 17). Factors contributing to incidents included recapping (10.9%, n = 40), full needle-boxes (7 .6%, n = 28), and inappropriate disposal (13.1%, n = 48). A health fai r featuring walk-in hepatitis B immunization attracted 260 participant s, 90% of whom completed the entire immunization series. This signific antly improved the immunization rate of employees subsequently reporti ng body fluid exposure.