Medical records contaminated with dried blood: A quality issue

A routine chart review over 23 months in a 256-bed community hospital revea led 246 medical records contaminated with apparent blood. Sixty percent of the records were nursing and anesthesiology records. Analysis of systematic ally selected records confirmed blood as the visible contaminant in 27% of the cases (8/30). Total quality improvement methodology reduced the inciden ts by 75%. Actions included policy development, in-service education, and c hanges in work practices. Although bloodborne pathogen transmission is stat istically improbable, we should improve work practices to eliminate blood c ontamination of charts.