Authors

Ester Amores-Lizcano1, Cristina Romero-Blanco2

Position

1Especialista en Enfermería Familiar y Comunitaria. Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia. Consejería de Sanidad Universal y Salud Pública de Valencia. España 2Doctora por la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha. Facultad de Enfermería de Ciudad Real. España

Contact address

Ester Amores Lizcano. Avda. Cardenal Benlloch, 54. 46021 Valencia (España).

Contact email: estheramores22@gmail.com

Abstract

Objective: to describe the tendency of biological exposures among healthcare professionals during the years 2019-2021.
Method: a retrospective descriptive epidemiological study with 400 biological accidents among the staff of the Clínico-Malvarrosa Health Department (Valencia) from 2019 to 2021. The information was collected by the Occupational Risk Prevention Service through the REBA and EOLAS databases. The type of variables collected were: type of accident, setting where it occurred, characteristics of the worker involved, safety measures applied, and serological parameters of source and worker.
Results: the distribution of accidents per year was n= 132 in 2019 (33%), n= 121 in 2020 (30.25%) and n= 147 in 2021 (36.75%). The professionals who experienced more accidents in all years were nurses, specifically those with <5 years of experience, 25-to-34-year old, and under temporary contract. The services that reported more accidents were Primary Care and Surgery in all these years, particularly the morning shifts. Over 20% of the staff were not wearing gloves at the time of the accident in any of these three years. There was an increase in the use of face masks from 24% in 2019 to 100% in 2021, as well as an increase in facial protection measures from 0% to 7%. Of these accidents, 96% could be recorded without seroconversion cases among workers exposed in any of these years.
Conclusions: apparently, the COVID-19 pandemic has not altered the tendency towards accidental biological exposures among healthcare workers. The most significant fluctuations could be due to the reduction in surgical activity during 2020.

Keywords:

coronavirus; occupational exposure; occupational risks; accidental exposure to biological agents; needlestick injuries; health personnel

Versión en Español

Título:

Accidentes biológicos entre sanitarios durante la pandemia por sars-cov-2: 2019-2021