Japanese Society for Infection Prevention and Control-Online Journal

Full Text of PDF (376K)
Article in Japanese

Current Status of Education Regarding Preventive Measures against Occupational Infection and the Realities of Blood and Body Fluid Exposures among Perinatal Nursing Staff: Comparison Based on Clinical Department and Future Challenges

Sayuri WATANABE¹⁾, Masako UCHIYAMA²⁾, Yoko YOSHIMORI³⁾ and Mitsuko SAYAMA⁴⁾
¹⁾Former Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, ²⁾Division of Infection Control and Prevention, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, ³⁾Niigata Saiseikai Sanjyo Hospital, ⁴⁾Niigata Midwives Association

This present study was conducted to determine whether preventive measures against occupational infection among perinatal nursing staff differ depending on clinical department. The purpose of the present study was to compare the preventive measures against occupational infection from the following perspectives: (i) education, (ii) past exposure to blood and body fluids, (iii) past experience of needle-stick and cut injuries, and (iv) presence or absence of written reports of such injuries. In 2014, anonymous self-administered questionnaires were mailed to 430 perinatal nursing staff working at obstetric care facilities of 25 facilities operating in Niigata Prefecture. Subjects were classified into the following two groups: (i) a "multiple clinical departments" group comprising the subjects working at hospitals with multiple clinical departments, including obstetrics and gynecology departments, and (ii) an "obstetrics and gynecology department" group comprising the subjects working at a single-department obstetrics and gynecology hospital or at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic. The data were compared between the two groups. A valid response was obtained, with 148 subjects in the "multiple clinical departments" group and 118 subjects in the "obstetrics and gynecology department" group. Over 70% of the subjects in both groups had educational experiences in preventive measures against occupational infection. The subjects in the "obstetrics and gynecology department" group did not gain many educational and training opportunities to learn the standard precaution within their institutions (p<0.001). Over 90% of the subjects in both groups had a history of skin and mucosal exposures during birth assistance, however, without significant difference between both groups. Over the past year, needle-stick and cut injuries were experienced by 3.4% of the subjects in the "multiple clinical departments" group and 12.9% of the subjects in the "obstetrics and gynecology department" group (p=0.005). Furthermore, 98% of the subjects in the "multiple clinical departments" group acknowledged the presence of written reports for needle-stick and cut injuries; however, these reports existed for only 77% of the subjects in the "obstetrics and gynecology department" group (p<0.001). Perinatal nursing staff experiences a high probability of blood and body fluid exposures regardless of clinical department, and the current situation indicates that measures to prevent occupational infections are insufficient. The future challenges are as follows: (i) enhancing the training regarding standard precaution and (ii) strengthening the preventive measures against needle-stick and cut injuries, and skin and mucosal exposure, and the introduction of written reports of injuries for the nursing staff working at single-department obstetrics and gynecology hospitals or obstetrics and gynecology clinics.

Key words：perinatal nursing, occupational infection control, blood and body fluid exposures, obstetrics medical facility, midwife

e-mail: othello_at_will＠yahoo.co.jp

Received: March 9, 2017
Accepted: February 21, 2018

33 (3)：87─93,2018