Effect of universal precautions instruction on occupational exposure

Occupational exposure may predispose health care workers to acquiring hepatitis B, C and HIV via the skin and mucous membranes when they expose to blood and body fluids. The best preventive measure in this respect is taking universal precautions. In the wards where occupational exposure is more likely-such as dialysis, operation room, emergency, and labour-these precautions are more important. The present study was carried out to determine the effect of universal precautions instruction on the occupational exposure of midwives as a high risk group. This case-control and quasi experimental research was carried out on all of the twenty midwives in the only maternity hospital of Rafsanjan (case group) and eighteen midwives in one of the maternity hospitals of Kerman (control group) through poll sampling. Means of gathering data was a bisectional questionnaire consisting of queries regarding some personal characteristics and number of exposure during the latest three months. The questionnaire was filled out by the cases at the beginning of the study and was filled out again after a three month period of face-to-face instruction. The obtained data was analyzed by means of SPSS software, paired and independent t-test and chi-square and P≤0.05 was taken as the significant level. Mean of occupational exposure before instruction in the case and control group was 25.7±10 and 21.6±7.1 respectively and after three months it was 14.6±4.6 and 20.2±6.1respectively. Comparing the mean of occupational exposure before and after instruction showed a significant decrease in the case group (P=0.001) but it was not significant in the control group (P=0.3). Regarding the results of the study it seems that universal education on precautions at work significantly reduces occupational exposure of health-care workers.