The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #55285

Joerg Klewer, MD PhD¹, Helmut Lauschke, MD PhD², Francisco Guillen-Grima³, Irena Aguinaga-Ontoso³, Stefan Sekula, MD⁴, Uwe Tracogna, MD PhD¹, and Joachim Kugler, MD PhD¹. (1) Public Health, Dresden Medical School, IMIB-Fetscherstr. 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany, 0049-351-3177217, Joklewer@aol.com, (2) Dept. of Orthopaedics, Oshakati Regional Hospital, Private Bag X5501, Oshakati, Namibia, (3) Dept. of Health Sciences, University of Navarre, Avda Baranain s/n, Pamplona, 31008, Spain, (4) Woiwodship Hospital A. Sokolowskiego, ul. A. Sokolowskiego 4, Walbrzych, Poland

To prevent occupational HIV infections in health professionals, comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS is essential. Due to working close to infected patients, especially nursing staff is endangered. Therefore, the study tried to investigate how nursing staff from countries with different HIV prevalences assess the risk of occupational HIV-infections. In this multi-center-study the assessments by nursing staff from Germany, Namibia, Poland and Spain (n=529) on the risk of acquiring HIV in different clinical situations were analyzed by using standardized anonymous questionnaires. The assessments on the HIV-transmission risks differed between the four samples. In general, the Namibian and the polish nurses overestimated the risk of HIV transmission in most situations (e.g. changing dirty linen, physical examination, dressing wounds). In most cases, the German and the Spanish nursing staff saw lower risks of contracting HIV than nurses from the both other samples. The results indicate, that assessments on the risk of HIV transmission by nursing staff depends on the national HIV incidence. In countries like Namibia and Poland with emerging HIV incidences, nurses tend to see higher risks for contracting HIV even in clinical situations with unlikely risk of transmission. Nursing education should consider this and focus more on HIV/AIDS related aspects. By this, patient care improves and the infection risk for nursing staff will be reduced.

Learning Objectives:

• After the presentation the participants should be informed about the differences in assessments on HIV transmission risks in clinical situations between nursing staff from Germany, Namibia, Poland and Spain. The participant should also know, that assessments on HIV transmission risks are related to the national HIV incidence.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Occupational Disease

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.