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Three hundred forty-two students at 3 Florida medical schools were surveyed concerning occupational exposures to blood and body fluids during their 3rd-year clerkship. The 16-item questionnaire was anonymously returned by 150 students, and differences among groups were assessed at p < .05. Most of the students complied with universal precautions guidelines (UVPG); 62 reported 101 exposures, including 9 with HIV-positive blood and body fluids. Most of the exposed students knew about the guidelines but regarded the incidents as irrelevant to their safety or supervision training. Noncompliant students reported significantly more exposures than compliant students. Time constraints, inconvenience of using gloves during procedures, and belief that patients were at low HIV risk discouraged adherence to the guidelines. Common practices following exposure were "no action" or "washed area only" without medical follow-up. Medical students' UVPG adherence should be increased by workload modification, user-friendly safety products, and supervised practice training in clinical exposure settings.

This study analyzed influenza vaccination in a group of elderly veterans living in a Florida VA nursing home care unit (NHCU). A survey questionnaire, developed to assess veterans' vaccination status, attitude and perception, was presented orally by a technician in the form of an interview and the responses were annotated in appropriate areas of the questionnaire. Only 34% of the 202 veterans had been vaccinated within the last 12 months (compliant group), although the study subjects were in a high-risk group, i.e., 65 years of age or older, an average length of stay at the NHCU of 12 months and > 70% suffered from chronic disease(s) with a past history of smoking. Thus, the veterans not vaccinated outnumbered those who were by 2:1. Vaccine acceptance was significantly influenced by physician's advice and the subject's knowledge and fear about the vaccine. Veterans advised to take the vaccine yearly, within the last 5 years and more than 5 years ago had vaccination rates of 96.4, 57.8 and 17.6%, respectively. Veterans never instructed had an immunization rate of 0%. Over half of the veterans (50.7%) had regular contact with a physician. Therefore, more frequent physician reminders to vaccinate could enhance the yearly vaccine coverage rate. Subjects who received the vaccine previously but failed to do so on a yearly basis acted out of fear of side effects and shots (most frequent reason given; 34.3% of all reasons), misconceptions about the vaccine recommendation (27.6%), as well as lack of motivation (19.5%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A survey of aged veterans greater than or equal to 85 years old was undertaken to determine their vaccination behaviour prior to mounting a local education campaign on influenza vaccine. A questionnaire inquiring into circumstances which may have influenced their decision to be immunized against influenza was mailed to all 300 elderly veterans (greater than or equal to 85) obtained from the register at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital. Ninety-two persons responded in self addressed stamped envelopes and data were analysed six months following mailing date. The most important reason for not being immunized was lack of information concerning vaccine recommendations and its availability (48%). Fear of 'shots' and side effects was the next most important reason for not taking the vaccine (19%). Amotivation and transportation difficulties played comparatively minimal roles (10%, 13%). These data suggest that health education measures may improve vaccine compliance in the elderly population who suffer from higher death rates and complications from influenza.