Assessing the cost of occupational exposures to blood, in a French university hospital

The management of occupational exposure to blood has an important economic impact. Few studies have estimated the real cost of these exposures. METHOD: This retrospective study was made on occupational exposures to blood reported in the Poitiers University Hospital, in 2000. Items concerning the management of these accidents were listed: consultations, post-exposure prophylaxis, laboratory testing, leave time for health care workers (HCW). RESULTS: In 2000, 243 occupational exposures to blood were reported to the Department of Occupational Medicine. Nurses (39.5%), physicians (21.8%), and students (13.6%) were the most frequently concerned. Most of these accidents occurred in the Department of Surgery (29.2%) and Department of Internal Medicine (24.3%). Deep needle-stick injuries accounted for 48.7% of occupational exposures to blood. The source patient serology was unknown in 15.6% of the cases. This study showed that the cost of these occupational exposures to blood was high in 2000 (68310 Euros). This global cost was due to consultations (11122 Euros), laboratory testing (45995 Euros), and post-exposure prophylaxis (5067 Euros). The cost of leave time for injured workers was 6126 Euros. CONCLUSION: The economic impact of occupational exposures to blood is high for a hospital. Before the introduction of safety devices, a cost-benefit analysis must be made to assess the benefits brought about by preventing accidents.