Occupational Accidents Caused by Sharp Objects Among Healthcare Workers and Medical Students: A Retrospective Observational Study.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate sharp object injuries (SOIs) among healthcare workers (HCWs) and medical students in a 10-year period, from 2014 to 2023. A secondary aim was to assess the procedures and the prevalence of exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

METHODS

The data collection was retrieved from the hospital records for the examined period. All laboratory parameters had been determined by the electrochemiluminescence method and were performed using the Alinity instrument (Abbott Diagnostics, IL, USA). Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics version 30.0.

RESULTS

In total, 771 occupational accidents occurred, involving individuals with an average age of 34 years. Blood sampling was the most common procedure (n=360; 46.7%). Regarding the source, 61 (7.9%) cases involved abandoned sharps, while in 710 (92.1%) cases the source patient was identified. Laboratory analysis of the identified source patients showed that 31 (4.4%) were HBsAg-positive, 25 (3.5%) were anti-HCV positive only, 4 (0.6%) were HIV I/II positive, and 8 (1.1%) had screening tests for Treponema pallidum that were positive. Of note, two (0.3%) HCWs and two (0.9%) medical students were found to have pre-existing anti-hepatitis C antibodies at baseline testing; however, no true seroconversion occurred after exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

This retrospective observational study underscores the persistent clinical risk of SOIs among HCWs and medical students.