Estimates suggest that healthcare workers place more than 300 million short peripheral IV catheters each year in the U.S. The study shows nurses are at risk of exposure to blood pathogens in 128 of 100,000 IV catheter insertions. Yet, most such exposures go unreported, the report concludes. Of the total mucous membrane exposures sustained by respondents in this study, 69% were not reported. Almost nine in 10 of those nurses who did not report the incident said they did not think the exposure was significant enough to report; more than one third said they were too busy, and 9% said they were concerned about others' perceptions.
"This study demonstrates the need to consider technology and precautions to reduce the risk of all sources of blood exposure," says Janine Jagger, Ph.D., MPH, lead author of the study and director of International Healthcare Workers Safety Center. The study looked at the practices of 379 nurses nationwide who place IV catheters. Study respondents also report a monthly average of 10 incidents of blood contact to gloves during IV insertions and say they unexpectedly come into contact with blood in a patient's room (on bed rails, bedside trays, or pump touchpads) an average of 3.55 times per month, or almost once a week. Pathogens in blood residue on these surfaces can be transferred to healthcare workers, housekeeping staff and visitors who might come in contact with these surfaces.
The report was published in the December 2011 issue of Nursing. Read it here.