Occupational Exposure to Sharp Tools in Emergency Medical Service Staff; an Epidemiologic Study

Introduction: Sharp tools are among the major risk factors for transmission of blood borne infections. Therefore, the present study was carried out with the aim of determining epidemiologic aspects of occupational exposure and injury with sharp tools in emergency medical service (EMS) of Dezfoul, Iran, in 2014-2015. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 140 EMS staff who met the inclusion criteria, using census method. The tool used for data gathering was a questionnaire prepared by the researcher including demographic and personal health data, prevalence and cause of injury with sharp tools, knowledge, mental state, reporting exposure, measures taken, and follow-ups. Data were analyzed using statistical tests such as chi square. Results: Overall, 75% of the participants had been exposed to sharp tools at least once in the past year. Most injuries had occurred during venipuncture of the patient (41.09%). 54.2% of all exposures had happened during transfer. In addition, sadly, 63.9% of the exposures of the staff to patients’ infected secretions were not reported. 63% of injuries with sharp objects had occurred in the night shift. There was a correlation between working experience and frequency of exposure (p=0.02, r=0.19). Conclusion: The results of the present study are indicative of the high occupational exposure to sharp tools among staff of the studied EMS, a significant number of which had not been reported

مواجهه شغلی با وسایل تیز و برنده در پرسنل اورژانس پیش بیمارستانی؛ یک مطالعه اپیدمیولوژیک

Introduction: Sharp tools are among the major risk factors for transmission of blood borne infections. Therefore, the present study was carried out with the aim of determining epidemiologic aspects of occupational exposure and injury with sharp tools in emergency medical service (EMS) of Dezfoul, Iran, in 2014-2015. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 140 EMS staff who met the inclusion criteria, using census method. The tool used for data gathering was a questionnaire prepared by the researcher including demographic and personal health data, prevalence and cause of injury with sharp tools, knowledge, mental state, reporting exposure, measures taken, and follow-ups. Data were analyzed using statistical tests such as chi square. Results: Overall, 75% of the participants had been exposed to sharp tools at least once in the past year. Most injuries had occurred during venipuncture of the patient (41.09%). 54.2% of all exposures had happened during transfer. In addition, sadly, 63.9% of the exposures of the staff to patients’ infected secretions were not reported. 63% of injuries with sharp objects had occurred in the night shift. There was a correlation between working experience and frequency of exposure (p=0.02, r=0.19). Conclusion: The results of the present study are indicative of the high occupational exposure to sharp tools among staff of the studied EMS, a significant number of which had not been reported. مقدمه: وسایل تیز و برنده از عوامل خطر عمده برای انتقال عفونت های منتقله از راه خون می باشد. از این رو این مطالعه با هدف تعیین جنبه های اپیدمیولوژیک مواجهه شغلی با وسایل تیز و برنده در اورژانس پیش بیمارستانی شهر دزفول، ایران در سال 94-1393 انجام شد. روش کار: این پژوهش مقطعی بر روی 140 نفر از پرسنل فوریتهای پزشکی که معیارهای ورود به مطالعه را داشتند، به روش سرشماری انجام شد. ابزار جمع آوري اطلاعات پرسشنامه ای محقق ساخته شامل مشخصات دموگرافیک و سلامت فردي، شیوع و علل مواجهه با وسایل تیز و برنده، میزان آگاهی، شرایط روحی – روانی، گزارش مواجهات، اقدامات و پیگیری ها بود. داده ها با استفاده از آزمونهای آماری از جمله کای اسکوئر تجزیه و تحلیل شد. يافته ها: بطور کلی 75 درصد از شرکت کنندگان در یک سال گذشته حداقل یکبار با وسایل تیز و برنده مواجهه داشتند. بیشترین مواجهه (09/41 درصد) حین رگ گیری از بیمار بود. 2/54 درصد از کل مواجهات در حین انتقال اتفاق افتاده بود. همچنین 3/69 درصد از مواجهه پرسنل با ترشحات آلوده بیمار متاسفانه گزارش نشده بودند. 63 درصد مواجهات با وسایل تیز و برنده در شیفت شب اتفاق افتاده بود. بین سابقه کاری و فراوانی مواجهات همبستگی وجود داشت (19/0=r، 02/0=p). نتيجه گيری: نتايج مطالعه حاضر حاكي از بالا بودن ميزان مواجهات شغلی با وسایل تیز و برنده بین پرسنل فوریتهای پزشکی مورد مطالعه بود که تعداد قابل توجهی از این موارد گزارش نشده بودند

Nanofibrous Silver-Coated Polymeric Scaffolds with Tunable Electrical Properties

Electrospun micro- and nanofibrous poly(glycerol sebacate)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PGS-PCL) substrates have been extensively used as scaffolds for engineered tissues due to their desirable mechanical properties and their tunable degradability. In this study, we fabricated micro/nanofibrous scaffolds from a PGS-PCL composite using a standard electrospinning approach and then coated them with silver (Ag) using a custom radio frequency (RF) sputtering method. The Ag coating formed an electrically conductive layer around the fibers and decreased the pore size. The thickness of the Ag coating could be controlled, thereby tailoring the conductivity of the substrate. The flexible, stretchable patches formed excellent conformal contact with surrounding tissues and possessed excellent pattern-substrate fidelity. In vitro studies confirmed the platform’s biocompatibility and biodegradability. Finally, the potential controlled release of the Ag coating from the composite fibrous scaffolds could be beneficial for many clinical applications. Keywords: electrospinning; electrical properties; nanocoatings; flexible electronic

Nanofibrous Silver-Coated Polymeric Scaffolds with Tunable Electrical Properties

Electrospun micro- and nanofibrous poly(glycerol sebacate)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PGS-PCL) substrates have been extensively used as scaffolds for engineered tissues due to their desirable mechanical properties and their tunable degradability. In this study, we fabricated micro/nanofibrous scaffolds from a PGS-PCL composite using a standard electrospinning approach and then coated them with silver (Ag) using a custom radio frequency (RF) sputtering method. The Ag coating formed an electrically conductive layer around the fibers and decreased the pore size. The thickness of the Ag coating could be controlled, thereby tailoring the conductivity of the substrate. The flexible, stretchable patches formed excellent conformal contact with surrounding tissues and possessed excellent pattern-substrate fidelity. In vitro studies confirmed the platform’s biocompatibility and biodegradability. Finally, the potential controlled release of the Ag coating from the composite fibrous scaffolds could be beneficial for many clinical applications

Nanofibrous Silver-Coated Polymeric Scaffolds with Tunable Electrical Properties.

Electrospun micro- and nanofibrous poly(glycerol sebacate)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PGS-PCL) substrates have been extensively used as scaffolds for engineered tissues due to their desirable mechanical properties and their tunable degradability. In this study, we fabricated micro/nanofibrous scaffolds from a PGS-PCL composite using a standard electrospinning approach and then coated them with silver (Ag) using a custom radio frequency (RF) sputtering method. The Ag coating formed an electrically conductive layer around the fibers and decreased the pore size. The thickness of the Ag coating could be controlled, thereby tailoring the conductivity of the substrate. The flexible, stretchable patches formed excellent conformal contact with surrounding tissues and possessed excellent pattern-substrate fidelity. In vitro studies confirmed the platform's biocompatibility and biodegradability. Finally, the potential controlled release of the Ag coating from the composite fibrous scaffolds could be beneficial for many clinical applications