Occupational risks of hemocontact viral infections for healthcare workers: a systematic literature review

At present, multiple studies report that healthcare workers (HCWs) are a specific occupational category exposed to various infections due to contacts with bloodborne pathogens in blood and other body fluids. Healthcare provision involves risks of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) and other bloodborne pathogens for healthcare workers due to injuries with sharp objects through damaged skin or mucous membranes. Literature data indicate that HCWs can get infected with bloodborne pathogens due to influence of several risk factors (peculiarities of a pathogen, its prevalence in a given population and among patients, intensity and duration of a contact with a pathogen). Risks of infection are associated with a division profile, work records, and some other factors. According to published data, the number of actual needlestick injuries and injuries caused by other sharp objects among HCWs prevails over the number of registered injuries and accounts for 22-82 % depending on a country, rules, and methodology applied for identifying the injury rate. Research works aimed at investigating hemocontact risks have established that underestimation of such data influences effectiveness and timeliness of implemented prevention activities. Risks of getting infected with hemocontact infections can grow substantially in case healthcare workers fail to follow personal protective measures or algorithms of relevant post-contact prevention. Observations of post-contact behaviors adopted by healthcare workers have revealed that 3.3-30 % of them either do not use any post-contact practices or do not always follow the relevant procedure of conducting them. Optimization of activities aimed at identifying and preventing risks of hemocontact infections among healthcare workers will prevent occupational pathology in this contingent.