Occupational risks in hemodialysis system processing

Abstract

http://dx.doi.org/10.5216/ree.v14i2.12601

The present study focuses on the processing in hemodialysis systems, with the objective to identify workers’ and patients’ risks during reprocessing. An observational study was performed regarding the activities of the nursing team at a university hospital in southern Brazil. Thirty-six reprocessing flows were observed, comprising 872 steps with some potential risk. In 638 (73%) observations, risk was related to patients, and in 27%, to workers. Safe techniques were observed on 573 (66%) occasions, and unsafe techniques on 299 (34%). Considering the 299 unsafe occasions, 144 (48%) depended on the infrastructure or routine and not on the worker’s conduct. The patients were at a significantly higher risk than the workers (P<0.001). No significant difference was observed between safe and unsafe steps in the pre-processing, reprocessing, and drying/storage phases (P>0.01). In conclusion, both patients and workers were at risk during reprocessing, although safe steps appeared, proportionally, in a greater number.