Characterization of occupational accidents occurred at the Occupational Health Referral Center of the state of Amapá between 2007 and 2016

INTRODUCTION: Occupational accidents involving biological material have consequences that range from physical damage to public expenses. The study of this topic may help evaluate conducts and form preventive measures. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the notifications of occupational accidents involving biological material that occurred between 2007 and 2016 in the state of Amapá, Brazil. METHODS: This is an observational, retrospective, and descriptive study with a data analysis that quantified occupational accidents with biological material reported between January 2007 and December 2016 and analyzed the most prevalent risk factors. RESULTS: Data were obtained from the Occupational Health Reference Center of the state of Amapá: 938 cases of occupational accidents with biological material were reported in the studied period. The main type of exposure was percutaneous (75.8%), the most common organic material was blood (68.4%), and the main causative agent was the hollow-bore needle (58.6%). Considering the reported cases, 80.8% of 745 individuals were vaccinated against hepatitis B and 2.4% of 252 individuals had positive anti-HIV. Regarding the clinical progression of the injured workers, in 91.9% of the cases these data were unknown or not recorded, and 47.4% of the patients who provided this information were discharged with no serological conversion. CONCLUSIONS: The main causes of occupational accidents were related to the use of sharps for intravenous drug administration and the inadequate disposal of this material, highlighting the need for stronger attention when performing these procedures. The high incidence of unknown/blank data hampered the correct serological follow-up of the patients and the epidemiological characterization of the accidents.