The risk of exposure of third-year surgical clerks to human immunodeficiency virus in the operating room
J. A. Vergilio, R. B. Roberts and J. M. Davis
Department of Surgery, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021.
The exposure of third-year medical students to blood and blood products in
the operating room was assessed with a questionnaire distributed at the end
of their clerkship in surgery. Sixty-six (68%) of ninety-seven students
reported having been exposed to blood in the operating room during their
3-month rotation in surgery. During the year there was a decrease in the
exposure rate that correlated with the students' knowledge of universal
precautions (r = .96). Consistent with this observation was a significant
decrease in the exposure rate from the first quarter of the year to the
last quarter (88% vs 56% of the students). Of the 32 students stuck or cut
in the operating room, 21 (66%) were injured by the surgeon. These data
underscore the risk to medical students during their clerkships and the
important role that universal precautions had in their protection.
