Sharps Injuries and Other Blood and Body Fluid Exposures Among Home Health Care Nurses and Aides

Bibliographic Data

ID11036205
AuthorsMargaret M Quinn (At the time of the study, Margaret M. Quinn, Pia K. Markkanen, Catherine J. Galligan, David Kriebel, Hyun Kim, Rebecca J. Gore, and Susan R. Sama were with the Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Stephanie M. Chalupka was with the Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Angela K. Laramie and Letitia Davis are with the Occupational Health Surveillance Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston.), Margaret Quinn (0000-0002-0544-9996, University of Massachusetts Lowell), Pia K Markkanen (At the time of the study, Margaret M. Quinn, Pia K. Markkanen, Catherine J. Galligan, David Kriebel, Hyun Kim, Rebecca J. Gore, and Susan R. Sama were with the Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Stephanie M. Chalupka was with the Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Angela K. Laramie and Letitia Davis are with the Occupational Health Surveillance Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston.), Pia Markkanen (0000-0003-2887-8635, University of Massachusetts Lowell), Catherine J Galligan (At the time of the study, Margaret M. Quinn, Pia K. Markkanen, Catherine J. Galligan, David Kriebel, Hyun Kim, Rebecca J. Gore, and Susan R. Sama were with the Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Stephanie M. Chalupka was with the Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Angela K. Laramie and Letitia Davis are with the Occupational Health Surveillance Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston.), Catherine Galligan (University of Massachusetts Lowell), David Kriebel (0000-0003-1246-6142, At the time of the study, Margaret M. Quinn, Pia K. Markkanen, Catherine J. Galligan, David Kriebel, Hyun Kim, Rebecca J. Gore, and Susan R. Sama were with the Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Stephanie M. Chalupka was with the Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Angela K. Laramie and Letitia Davis are with the Occupational Health Surveillance Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston.), Stephanie M Chalupka (At the time of the study, Margaret M. Quinn, Pia K. Markkanen, Catherine J. Galligan, David Kriebel, Hyun Kim, Rebecca J. Gore, and Susan R. Sama were with the Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Stephanie M. Chalupka was with the Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Angela K. Laramie and Letitia Davis are with the Occupational Health Surveillance Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston.), Stephanie Chalupka (University of Massachusetts Lowell), Hyun Kim (0000-0002-7637-678X, At the time of the study, Margaret M. Quinn, Pia K. Markkanen, Catherine J. Galligan, David Kriebel, Hyun Kim, Rebecca J. Gore, and Susan R. Sama were with the Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Stephanie M. Chalupka was with the Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Angela K. Laramie and Letitia Davis are with the Occupational Health Surveillance Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston.), Rebecca Gore (0000-0001-7982-8131, University of Massachusetts Lowell), Rebecca J Gore (At the time of the study, Margaret M. Quinn, Pia K. Markkanen, Catherine J. Galligan, David Kriebel, Hyun Kim, Rebecca J. Gore, and Susan R. Sama were with the Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Stephanie M. Chalupka was with the Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Angela K. Laramie and Letitia Davis are with the Occupational Health Surveillance Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston.), Susan R Sama (At the time of the study, Margaret M. Quinn, Pia K. Markkanen, Catherine J. Galligan, David Kriebel, Hyun Kim, Rebecca J. Gore, and Susan R. Sama were with the Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Stephanie M. Chalupka was with the Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Angela K. Laramie and Letitia Davis are with the Occupational Health Surveillance Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston.), Susan Sama (0000-0003-0182-598X, University of Massachusetts Lowell), Angela K Laramie (0000-0001-7243-1772, At the time of the study, Margaret M. Quinn, Pia K. Markkanen, Catherine J. Galligan, David Kriebel, Hyun Kim, Rebecca J. Gore, and Susan R. Sama were with the Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Stephanie M. Chalupka was with the Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Angela K. Laramie and Letitia Davis are with the Occupational Health Surveillance Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston.), Letitia Davis (At the time of the study, Margaret M. Quinn, Pia K. Markkanen, Catherine J. Galligan, David Kriebel, Hyun Kim, Rebecca J. Gore, and Susan R. Sama were with the Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Stephanie M. Chalupka was with the Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Angela K. Laramie and Letitia Davis are with the Occupational Health Surveillance Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston.)
Year2009
Volume99
IssueS3
PagesS710-S717
Publication date2009-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2008.150169
PMID19890177
PMCIDPMC2774204
OpenAlexW2055770842
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited25

Objectives. We quantified risks of sharp medical device (sharps) injuries and other blood and body fluid exposures among home health care nurses and aides, identified risk factors, assessed the use of sharps with safety features, and evaluated underreporting in workplace-based surveillance. Methods. We conducted a questionnaire survey and workplace-based surveillance, collaborating with 9 home health care agencies and 2 labor unions from 2006 to 2007. Results. Approximately 35% of nurses and 6.4% of aides had experienced at least 1 sharps injury during their home health care career; corresponding figures for other blood and body fluid exposures were 15.1% and 6.7%, respectively. Annual sharps injuries incidence rates were 5.1 per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses and 1.0 per 100 FTE aides. Medical procedures contributing to sharps injuries were injecting medications, administering fingersticks and heelsticks, and drawing blood. Other contributing factors were sharps disposal, contact with waste, and patient handling. Sharps with safety features frequently were not used. Underreporting of sharps injuries to the workplace-based surveillance system was estimated to be about 50%. Conclusions. Sharps injuries and other blood and body fluid exposures are serious hazards for home health care nurses and aides. Improvements in hazard intervention are needed

Environmental health · Family medicine · Health care · Health hazard · Incidence (geometry) · Medical emergency · Occupational safety and health · Emergency Medicine · Infection Control and Ventilation · Infection Control in Healthcare · Medicine · Nursing · Safe Handling of Antineoplastic Drugs

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