University Library
  • Login
A gateway to Melbourne's research publications
Minerva Access is the University's Institutional Repository. It aims to collect, preserve, and showcase the intellectual output of staff and students of the University of Melbourne for a global audience.
View Item 
  • Minerva Access
  • Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences
  • Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
  • Melbourne School of Population and Global Health - Research Publications
  • View Item
  • Minerva Access
  • Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences
  • Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
  • Melbourne School of Population and Global Health - Research Publications
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Occupational exposure to blood and risk of bloodborne virus infection among health care workers in rural north Indian health care settings

    Thumbnail
    Citations
    Scopus
    Web of Science
    Altmetric
    97
    49
    Author
    Kermode, M; Jolley, D; Langkham, B; Thomas, MS; Crofts, N
    Date
    2005-02-01
    Source Title
    AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
    Publisher
    MOSBY, INC
    University of Melbourne Author/s
    Kermode, Michelle; Crofts, John
    Affiliation
    Population Health
    Nossal Institute for Global Health
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Document Type
    Journal Article
    Citations
    Kermode, M., Jolley, D., Langkham, B., Thomas, M. S. & Crofts, N. (2005). Occupational exposure to blood and risk of bloodborne virus infection among health care workers in rural north Indian health care settings. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL, 33 (1), pp.34-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2004.07.015.
    Access Status
    This item is currently not available from this repository
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/11343/26437
    DOI
    10.1016/j.ajic.2004.07.015
    Description

    C1 - Journal Articles Refereed

    Abstract
    BACKGROUND: Approximately 3 million health care workers (HCWs) experience percutaneous exposure to bloodborne viruses (BBVs) each year. This results in an estimated 16,000 hepatitis C, 66,000 hepatitis B, and 200 to 5000 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections annually. More than 90% of these infections are occurring in low-income countries, and most are preventable. Several studies report the risks of occupational BBV infection for HCWs in high-income countries where a range of preventive interventions have been implemented. In contrast, the situation for HCWs in low-income countries is not well documented, and their health and safety remains a neglected issue. OBJECTIVE: To describe the extent of occupational exposure to blood and the risk of BBV infection among a group of HCWs in rural north India. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of HCWs from 7 rural health settings gathered data pertaining to occupational exposure to blood and a range of other relevant variables (eg, demographic information, compliance with Universal Precautions, perception of risk, knowledge of BBVs). A mass action model was used to estimate the risk of occupational BBV infection for these HCWs over a 10-year period. RESULTS: A total of 266 HCWs returned questionnaires (response rate, 87%). Sixty-three percent reported at least 1 percutaneous injury (PI) in the last year (mean no. = 2.3) and 73% over their working lifetime (mean no. = 4.2). Predictors of PI during the last year were hospital site, job category, perception of risk, and compliance with Universal Precautions. CONCLUSION: The high level of occupational exposure to blood found among this group of rural north Indian HCWs highlights the urgent need for interventions to enhance their occupational safety to prevent unnecessary nosocomial transmission of BBVs.
    Keywords
    Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety; Occupational Health (excl. Economic Development Aspects)

    Export Reference in RIS Format     

    Endnote

    • Click on "Export Reference in RIS Format" and choose "open with... Endnote".

    Refworks

    • Click on "Export Reference in RIS Format". Login to Refworks, go to References => Import References


    Collections
    • Minerva Elements Records [45770]
    • Melbourne School of Population and Global Health - Research Publications [4369]
    • Nossal Institute for Global Health - Research Publications [89]
    Minerva AccessDepositing Your Work (for University of Melbourne Staff and Students)NewsFAQs

    BrowseCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects
    My AccountLoginRegister
    StatisticsMost Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors