Reported use of strategies by surgeons to prevent transmission of bloodborne diseases

Abstract

Objective: To determine how often surgeons use strategies to prevent the transmission of bloodborne diseases and what factors are associated with the use of these strategies.

Design: Cross-sectional mail survey.

Setting: Secondary and tertiary care teaching hospitals affiliated with the University of Toronto.

Participants: Of 539 active surgical staff and residents who were eligible, 503 (93.3%) responded.

Outcome measures: Current preventive practices, attitudes toward transmission of bloodborne diseases, perceived risk of infection and willingness to adopt preventive strategies.

Results: On average, surgeons reported using double- or triple-gloving in 32.2% of procedures, facial protection (including regular corrective eyewear) in 74.2% and goggles or face shields in 19.4%. Use of strategies to prevent sharp injuries, in addition to barrier precautions, was reported by 259 (51.5%) of the respondents. Factors associated with greater use of preventive strategies included resident position, subspecialty, greater number of years in surgical practice and a high perceived risk. Most of the respondents thought that patients should be routinely screened for HIV antibodies before surgery (68.2% [343/503]), that there was too little research into ways to reduce the risk of transmission of bloodborne diseases (55.3% [278/503]) and that there was too little effort on the part of organizations to reduce the risk of transmission (58.8% [296/503]). The perceived lifetime risk was reported to be moderate or high by 191 (38.0%) of the respondents and low or insignificant by 308 (61.2%). In all, 463 (92.0%) indicated a willingness to change the way they performed surgery to prevent transmission of bloodborne diseases.

Conclusion: Surgeons expressed varying degrees of concern about the transmission of bloodborne diseases and reported infrequent use of preventive strategies. Efforts to reduce the risk of transmission between patients and surgeons will need to include informing surgeons of their personal risk and the availability of preventive strategies, improving the comfort of barrier precautions and minimizing how preventive strategies interfere with surgery.