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Article: Perceptions that influence occupational exposure reporting.
- Article from:
- AORN Journal
- Article date:
- August 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Statistics on occupational exposures of health care workers to blood-borne pathogens are disturbing. In 1996, the estimated total annual occupational exposures to blood or other body substances in the United States was 786,885 exposures, at a rate of 30 exposures per 100 hospital beds occupied daily. (1) In Australia, national monitoring of occupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens began in 1995, and the estimated total exposures in Australia in 1998 was 1,718, at a rate of 25 exposures per 100 hospital beds occupied daily. (2) In addition, from the analysis of documented cases, disease transmission rates for HIV and hepatitis C after occupational exposure are ...