Accidents at Work from Exposure to Biological Material Contamination of Viral Hepatitis “B” and “C” in a Brazilian Capital*

Background: Occupational exposure to biological materials is a serious risk to the health of workers in their workplaces, due to the possibility of transmitting pathogens such as Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The aim of this study was to analyze the accidents of exposure to biological material which resulted in contamination of Hepatitis B and C in the municipal health Belo Horizonte. Methods: Epidemiological study with cross-sectional design performed by querying the data on accidents at work involving exposure to biological materials and notification data of Viral Hepatitis in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN) for the period of 2007 to June 2011, filed with the municipal government of Belo Horizonte. A descriptive analysis was performed using frequency distribution and percentages. Results: The 45 research records were arranged in professional categories, with 57.77% of incidents being ignored, followed by 24.44% nursing technicians, 6.66% nursing assistants, and 2.22% marketers, housekeeping, administrators, janitors, and builders. The average age was 39 years and 64.44% of the professionals were female. At the notification of the accident, 75.55% of professionals were not registered at CAT, and 92.85% of exposures occurred in the hospital; 64.29% in contact with blood; 35.71% of the causative agent was without needle lumen, 28.57% during administration of intravenous medication, and 57.14% from percutaneous exposure. In the distribution of occupation, 57.78% were contaminated with viral Hepatitis B and C. With vaccination regimens for Hepatitis B, 66.67% of the cases went to nursing assistants and 42.22% were “ignored”. Conclusion: These data confirm the need for reorientation of working practices during daily activities of health workers and guidance for notification of occupational accidents involving biological material and viral Hepatitis B and C in order to improve the quality of the records.