A vulnerabilidade de agentes comunitários de saúde frente ao risco biológico

Rezende, Fabiana Ribeiro de,; Mendonça, Katiane Martins,; Galdino-Júnior, Hélio,; Salgado, Thaís de Arvelos,; Alves, Clery Mariano da Silva,; Amaral, Tauana Souza,; Tipple, Anaclara Ferreira Veiga,

Os objetivos foram identificar as exposições ocupacionais a material biológico entre agentes comunitários de saúde; caracterizar os modos de exposição, as secreções orgânicas e as circunstâncias envolvidas; descrever as condutas adotadas e verificar a participação desses trabalhadores em capacitações sobre risco biológico e biossegurança. Estudo transversal descritivo. Participaram 80 agentes dos 89 integrantes de equipes de saúde da família de um distrito sanitário do município de Goiânia.

Resultados:

23 (28,8%) referiram exposição ocupacional, 10 (43,5%) citaram mais de uma exposição. A maioria envolveu saliva em pele íntegra ou em mucosa. Menos da metade deles referiu participação em capacitações abordando risco biológico e biossegurança. Agentes comunitários de saúde foram expostos a material biológico e, predominantemente, não estavam preparados. Políticas públicas direcionadas a estes trabalhadores devem contemplar claramente o risco biológico e seu controle para direcionar estratégias, conferir proteção trabalhista e garantir a incorporação desta temática na formação desse grupo.

The objectives were to identify occupational exposure of community health workers to biological material; to characterize the means of exposure, organic secretions and circumstances involved; to describe the behaviors adopted, and verify the participation of these workers in training on biological risk and biosafety. Descriptive cross-sectional study. Participants comprised 80 workers of the 89 members of family health teams from a sanitary district of the municipality of Goiânia.

Results:

23 (28.8%) reported occupational exposure and 10 (43.5%) reported more than one exposure. Most exposures involved saliva on intact skin or mucous membrane. Less than half reported participating in any form of training that addressed biological risk and biosafety. The community health workers were exposed to biological material and they were predominantly unprepared. Public policies for these workers must clearly observe biological risk and its control as a strategy guideline, provide worker protection, and ensure this subject is included in the education of community health workers.