%0 Journal Article
%T Patients-to-healthcare workers HIV transmission risk from sharp injuries, Southern Ethiopia
%A B Desalegn
%A H Beyene
%A R Yamada
%J SAHARA J (Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance)
%D 2012
%I Taylor & Francis Group
%X Background: Accidental needlestick injury rate among healthcare workers in Hawassa is extremely high. Epidemiological findings proved the infectious potential of this injury contaminated with a Human  Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected patient¡¯s blood. Objective: This study aimed at estimating the risk of HIV transmission from patients to healthcare workers in Hawassa City, Ethiopia. Method: A probabilistic risk model was employed. Scenario-based assumptions were made for the values of parameters following a review of published reports between 2007 and 2010. Parameters: HIV prevalence, needlestick injury rate, exposure rate, sero-conversion rate, risk of HIV transmission and cumulative risk of HIV transmission. Finding: Generally, healthcare workers in Hawassa are considered to be at a relatively low (0.0035%) occupational risk of contracting HIV ¨C less than 4 in 100,000 of healthcare workers in the town (1 in 28,751 workers a year). The 30 years¡¯ maximum cumulative risk estimate is approximately five healthcare workers per 1000 workers in the study area. Still, this small number should be considered a serious matter requiring post-exposure prophylaxis following exposure to unsafe medical practice leading to HIV infection.
%U http://www.ajol.info/index.php/saharaj/article/view/80338