EXPO-STOP:2012 Survey of US blood exposures is published in JAOHP

Linda Good and I, and the US Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare (AOHP) are pleased to announce the publication of our 2012 EXPO-STOP Survey in the recent edition of JAOHP.

The survey, the largest in US, examined the 9,494 blood exposures reported from 157 hospitals in 32 states, and calculated annual incidences using 4 denominators.

The 7,119 sharps injuries (SI) and 2,375 mucocutaneous exposures (MC) resulted in incidence rates of:
• 28.2 SI / 100 occupied beds; 2.2 / 100 staff; 3.3 / 100 nurses; and 0.43 / 100 Adjusted Patient Days.
• 10.1 MC / 100 occupied beds; 0.8 / 100 staff; and 0.15 / 100 Adjusted Patient Days.
• Of Total reported SI, 42% were among nurses and 36% among doctors.
• 44% of reported SI occurred during surgical procedures

The 2012 exposure incidences were significantly higher than those reported in the most recently published surveys by EPINet and Massachusetts Dept Public Health, and, disturbingly, higher than the EPINet incidence published in 2001 following the enactment of the OSHA needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (NSPA).

The study concludes that compliance with the NSPA is, in itself, insufficient to achieve the national reduction in exposures needed

The top 5 lowest-incidence hospitals had incidences 60% lower than their counterpart same-size hospitals. Their successful strategies were reported in the study and included education, repeated competency training, rapid investigation, unflagging diligence, and searching for safer safety devices.

A pre-publication Author Copy of the study is available for personal use and the definitive article is purchasable from AOHP

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