An analysis of needle-stick and splash exposures among health care workers and students at Groote Schuur Hospital, 2001-2005

Blood-borne diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and C viruses have made health care institutions hazardous places of work. Health care workers (HCWs) and students are at risk of acquiring these infections and associated diseases in the workplace through needle-stick and splash exposures. Globally over the years, preventative measures such as universal precautions, safetey devices, Hepatitis B vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV have been introduced so as to reduce the transmission of infection from patients to HCWs and students to prevent the associated diseases. Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH), a tertiary and teaching hospital, has these preventative measures in place. It also has a well-established staff health clinic which records all the reported needle-stick and splash exposures sustained by HCWs working there and by the students training there. The overall aim of this study was to analyse the data of the reported needle-stick and splash exposures among HCWs and students at GSH between 2001 and 2005.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Medicine

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Maiphetlho, Lerato

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Ehrlich, Rodney

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3422

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/3422