article · East African Orthopaedic Journal
Healthcare settings often prioritise preventing needlestick injuries over protecting mucous membranes from blood splashes, despite the known risks of infection. In orthopaedic surgery, power tools can create aerosolised spray and propel contaminated fluids at high speeds. A cross-sectional investigation assessed blood splash rates and eyewear habits among theatre personnel during intramedullary nailing of long bone fractures at Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Surgical staff were issued protective goggles, which were checked for macroscopic blood contamination immediately following procedures, alongside a survey regarding eyewear habits. Examination of 491 goggles revealed blood splashes on 92.46% of them. Despite this high exposure rate, routine adoption of protective eyewear was poor, with 28.6% of the 56 staff members reporting they never wear protection and 71.4% wearing it only irregularly.
Operating theatre staff face significant exposure to blood and bodily fluids during orthopaedic operations that involve power tools. Because infections such as HIV and Hepatitis can transmit across the conjunctiva, documented evidence of widespread fluid splashing highlights an urgent occupational safety concern and demonstrates that routine adherence to protective eyewear protocols remains critically low.
The findings indicate clear, immediate demand for improved personal protective equipment, such as comfortable, anti-fogging surgical eye protection tailored to orthopaedic operating theatres. Potential users are hospital procurement teams and theatre staff. Because this study is an observational safety assessment rather than product development, the abstract does not indicate a specific commercialisation pathway.
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Background: In the healthcare setting, much focus is directed at preventing bloodborne illness transmission by needlestick, but, despite the well-documented risk of disease transmission across mucous membranes, precautions against blood splashes to the eye are often not practiced. The risk of blood splash to the eye is especially high in orthopaedic procedures where the use of power tools can cause aerosolization and high velocity spray of contaminated fluids.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the risk of conjunctival contamination from blood and bodily fluid splash and the practice of using protective eyewear among theatre staff during intramedullary nailing for the treatment of long bone fractures at Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI).Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out at Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to determine the rate of conjunctival contamination during intramedullary nailing procedures. Protective goggles were provided to surgical staff during intramedullary nailing procedures and, after surgery, inspected for macroscopic splashes. The questionnaire was used to collect information about utilization of protective eyewear by surgical staff.Results: Of the 491 goggles assessed, 92.46% were found to have evidence of macroscopic blood splash. The incidence of blood splashes during the operations was statistically significant (p < 0.001) at 89.06%- 94.11% C.I. of the 56 surgical staff included, 28.6% and 71.4% reported never or irregularly wearing protective eyewear, respectively.Conclusion: Nine in every ten goggles were found to have blood splashes and the use of eye protective devices was low and inconsistent among surgical staff. This carries with it, the risk for transmission of blood borne pathogen such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C.
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DOI: 10.4314/eaoj.v19i1.2
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