Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among healthcare workers in Tatarstan Republic

Khasanova G. R.¹²

Agliullina S. T.¹

Hasanova G. N.²

Mardanova S. I.³

Fatkullina G. R.¹

1Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Russia
2Tatarstan Republican Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS and Infectious Diseases, Kazan, Russia
3Federal Budgetary Healthcare Institution ‘Hygiene and Epidemiology Center in Tatarstan Republic’, Kazan, Russia

Agliullina Saida; e-mail: saida.agliullina@kazangmu.ru

None declared.

The study had no sponsorship.

The activities of healthcare workers are associated with occupational risks of acquiring hemocontact infections (HIV infection, viral hepatitis B and C). In this regard, monitoring of accidental exposures to blood and body fluids (AEB) continues to be relevant in order to identify weak links in the organization of preventive measures after the occurrence of AEB and timely response to existing problems. The aim is to assess the frequency and nature of reported AEB among healthcare workers in Tatarstan Republic in 2015–2024 and the coverage of their post–exposure prophylaxis of HIV infection. Methods. A descriptive epidemiological study was conducted. The AEB statistics among healthcare workers in Tatarstan Republic for 2015–2024 are analyzed. The dynamics of the AEB frequency among healthcare workers during the study period, their structure by type of injury and job category of a healthcare worker, and coverage of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for post-exposure prophylaxis were studied. The proportions were compared using Pearson's χ2 criterion or Fisher's exact criterion. Results. In 2015–2024, 2206 cases of AEB were registered in Tatarstan Republic, of which 85.6% were among healthcare workers. There is a significant upward trend for the long–term dynamics of the AEB frequency: from 2.3‰ (95% CI 2.0–2.7‰) in 2015 to 3.9‰ (95% CI 3.5-4.3‰) in 2024. AEB occurs more often in doctors than in representatives of other professional qualification groups (according to the average rates of AS in doctors – 4.6‰, in mid-level medical personnel – 3.0‰, in orderlies – 2.6‰). In the dynamics over the period under study, a significant tendency towards an increase in the frequency of AEB in groups of mid-level and in orderlies was noted. Needle stick injuries consistently predominate in the structure of AEB (75.0%). ART was received by 87.4% (1660/1888) of medical workers injured in emergency facilities. Over the period studied, the proportion of healthcare workers who received ART as part of post-exposure HIV prevention increased significantly from 80.0% in 2015 to 98.8% in 2024 (χ2 = 58.3, p<0.001). The reasons for the lack of specific chemoprophylaxis are dominated by the refusal of a healthcare professional to take ART (52.3%, 124/228) and late initiation of ART after AEB (26.2%, 62/228). Conclusion. It is necessary to conduct regular training of healthcare personnel in order to reduce the frequency of AEB and to form an algorithm of actions in the case of accidental exposures to blood and body fluids.

HIV Infections, Blood-Borne Pathogens, Occupational Exposure, Health Personnel, Post-Exposure Prophylaxis

10.29234/2308-9113-2025-13-4-106-120

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