Body Fluid Exposure in Nurses of Fars Province, Southern Iran

Background: Blood and body fluid exposures place healthcare workers at risk for blood-borne infections. To determine the extent of the problem in Iran, we assessed blood and body fluid exposure in healthcare workers in Fars Province hospitals. Methods: We distributed 2,118 questionnaires using a stratified random sampling method among nurses of these hospitals. We used Chi-square test, Student’s t-test, and multiple logistic regression analysis for determining risk factors for exposure. Results: The overall prevalence of blood and body fluid exposures was 79% with a rate of exposure to sharps devices of 50%. Hypodermic needles were involved in most exposures (73%) with the most common source of injury being needle recapping (35%). Blood was the most frequent contaminant (87%) in mucocutaneous exposures, most commonly associated with inserting and removing intravenous lines (50%). Sharps injuries were independently associated with gender, professional level, and hospital location; mucocutaneous exposures were related to professional level and hospital location. Only 28% of nurses reported their exposures. Conclusion: The high level of risk found among nurses in Fars Province highlights the urgent need for interventions to enhance their occupational safety and to prevent unnecessary transmission of blood-borne viruses.