Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP (Apr 2015)

Clinical treatment adherence of health care workers and students exposed to potentially infectious biological material

  • Maria Cristina Mendes de Almeida,
  • Silvia Rita Marin da Silva Canini,
  • Renata Karina Reis,
  • Silmara Elaine Malaguti Toffano,
  • Fernanda Maria Vieira Pereira,
  • Elucir Gir

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0080-623420150000200011
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 49, no. 2
pp. 0259 – 0264

Abstract

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OBJECTIVE To assess adherence to clinical appointments by health care workers (HCW) and students who suffered accidents with potentially infectious biological material. METHOD A retrospective cross-sectional study that assessed clinical records of accidents involving biological material between 2005 and 2010 in a specialized unit. RESULTS A total of 461 individuals exposed to biological material were treated, of which 389 (84.4%) were HCWs and 72 (15.6%) students. Of the 461 exposed individuals, 307 (66.6%) attended a follow-up appointment. Individuals who had suffered an accident with a known source patient were 29 times more likely to show up to their scheduled follow-up appointments (OR: 29.98; CI95%: 16.09-55.83). CONCLUSION The predictor in both univariate and multivariate analyses for adherence to clinical follow-up appointment was having a known source patient with nonreactive serology for the human immunodeficiency virus and/or hepatitis B and C.

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