Análise de notificações de acidentes com material biológico

Abstract

Introduction: Exposure to biological materials represents a serious occupational risk in the training and work of healthcare professionals. Objective: To analyze available data on biological accidents among students and professionals in the healthcare field in Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative, and retrospective epidemiological study was conducted using microdata from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) of the Ministry of Health, covering the period from 2020 to 2024. The final sample included 216,301 valid notifications. Results: Item 46 of the accident investigation form for work-related exposure to biological material, entitled "type of exposure," presents five options to be marked: percutaneous, mucosal (oral/ocular), intact skin, non-intact skin, and other. Analyzing data obtained from the General Coordination of Dissemination and Integration of Health Data and Information (CGDID/DEMAS/SEIDIGI/MS) for the years 2020 to 2024, we found 261,164 recorded accident routes, encompassing all five possible accident routes present in the completed investigation forms. This exceeds the final sample, which included 216,301 valid notifications. Although there is the possibility of an accident involving exposure to a greater quantity of biological material that exposed the victim through more than one route simultaneously, 44,863 would be equivalent to 20.74%, which does not correspond to data reported in the literature on clinical practice. This raises the hypothesis of a large volume of errors in completing this investigation form, with greater suspicion related to the recording of the options "intact skin" and "non-intact skin". The percutaneous route was predominant (n=155,191), followed by intact skin (n=61,165), oral/ocular mucosa (n=25,547), non-intact skin (n=12,641), and other types (n=6,620). Conclusion: Data from the accident investigation form for work-related exposure to biological material are an important source of information for diagnosing the problem and determining primary prevention actions for this type of accident; however, there must be a combined effort between the inspection bodies and health institutions to ensure that this form is completed correctly by the people in charge of this activity.