PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine the under-reporting rate and related factors after blood and body fluid (BBF) exposure among hospital employees.
METHODS
Fifteen hundred employees were conveniently sampled from ten university and acute care hospitals. The survey questionnaire consisted of 37 items. Data were collected from September 10 to November 30, 2008.
RESULTS
The survey response rate was 88.7%. The 47.9% (638/1,331) of hospital employees were exposed to BBF and the mean number of exposure was 4.7+/-5.942 within the previous year. Under-reporting rate after BBF exposure was 69.4% (443/638). By multi-variate logistic regression analysis, the exposure number, exposure type, infectious disease and hospital were independently related to the under-reporting of BBF among hospital employees.
CONCLUSION
The Under-reporting Rate After Being Exposed To Blood And Body Fluids Was Relatively High. To Address This Problem, Educational Programs Are Needed To Decrease The Under-reporting Rate For Healthcare Workers. Further, It Might Be Helpful If Other Factors Related To Under-reporting Be Investigated In Future Studies.