Evaluation of Knowledge and Practice of Dentists and Assistants in Dental Clinics and Incidence of Sharp Instrument Injuries in Rafsanjan

Authors

Abstract

Background: Injuries caused by sharp instruments are the most important problems that expose dentists and healthcare workers to dangerous blood-borne diseases (AIDS and hepatitis). The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of needle stick injuries; and the knowledge and practice of dentists and their assistants about prevention and encountering the injuries caused by sharp instruments in Rafsanjan in 2013.


Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, a researcher-made questionnaire (demographic information, knowledge and practice about reducing exposure and post-exposure practice) were completed by 100 dentists and 115 dental assistants. Data were analyzed using two-sample t-test and linear regression by SPSS 18.


Results: During one year, 25% of dentists and 31.1% of assistants were injured by sharp instruments. The mean score of practice and knowledge in dentists was 3.31±0.70 and 3.91±1.49 from the maximum score of 10 and 11. The mean score of practice in assistants was 1.98±0.63 from the maximum score of 9. There was no significant relationship between knowledge and practice score, and gender, age, length of professional experience, and training university. Professional dentists compared to the general dentists showed better practice and knowledge (P=0.03, P=0.01). There was no significant relationship between dentists knowledge and assistants practice (P=0.063) and also between dentists practice and assistants practice (P=0.071).


Conclusion: The knowledge and practice level of dentists about sharp instrument injuries and also their assistants’ practice was undesirable and implementing re-education programs seems to be necessary.

Keywords


1. Shah SM, Merchant AT, Dosman J. Percutaneous injuries among dental professionals in Washington State. BMC Public Health. 2006;6:269. 2. Leggat PA, Smith DR. Prevalence of percutaneous exposure incidents amongst dentists in Queensland. Aust Dent J. 2006;51(2):158-61. 3. Norsayani MY, Noor Hassim I. Study on incidence of needle stick injury and factors associated with this problem among Medical students. J Occup Health. 2003 May;45(3):172-8. 4. Hashemipour M, Sadeghi A. NeedleStick injuries among Medical and dental students at the University of Kerman. a questionnaire study. Journal of Dentistry of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. 2008; 5(2):71-6. 5. Prüss-Ustün A, Rapiti E, Hutin Y. Estimation of the global burden of disease attributable to contaminated sharps injuries among health-care workers. Am J Ind Med. 2005 Dec;48(6):482-90. 6. Gyawali S, Rathore DS, Shankar PR, Kumar KV. Strategies and challenges for safe injection practice in developing countries. J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2013 Jan;4(1):8-12. 7. Ebrahimi SF, Shadman N, Ghaempanah I. Needlestick injuries in dentists and their assistants in Kerman, Iran: Prevalence, knowledge, and practice. Journal of Oral Health and Oral Epidemiology. 2013;2(1):23-7. 8. Askarian M, Alavian Ghavanini A. Survey on adaptation of measures to prevent nosocomial infection by anaesthesia personnel. East Mediterr Health J. 2002;8(2-3):416-21. 9. Bellissimo-Rodrigues WT, Bellissimo-Rodrigues F, Machado AA. Occupational exposure to biological fluids among a cohort of Brazilian dentists. Int Dent J. 2006 Dec;56(6):332-7. 10. Zafar A, Habib F, Hadwani R, Ejaz M, Khowaja K, Khwaja R, Irfan S. Impact of infection control activities on the rate of Needle Stick injuries at a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan over a period of six years: an observation study. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2009;9:78. 11. Izadpanah A, Mashreghy Moghadam H, Ziaee M, Foadaldini M, Ebadian F. Anti HBs level in nursing staff of Birjand University of Medical Sciences. J Birjand Univ Med Sci. 2008; 15(2): 80-5. Persian 12. Sharma R, Rasania S, Verma A, Singh S. Study of prevalence and response to needle stick injuries among health care workers in a tertiary care Hospital in Delhi, India. Indian J Community Med. 2010 Jan;35(1):74-7. 13. Lotfi R, Gashtasbi A. Needle stick and sharps injuries and its risk factors among health center personnel Astara; Iran 2006. J Babol Univ Med Sci. 2008;10(4):71-7. Persian 14. Nejadghaderi M, Safizadeh H, Khanjani N. The knowledge and practice of Medical staff about needle injuries in Rafsanjan's Ali-ebne-Abitaleb hospital, Iran. Journal of Health and Development. 2012;1(1):1-10. Persian 15. Kakoei S, Sheibani G, Mohammad Alizadeh S. Awareness and practice of Kerman dentists about B – hepatitis, 2004. Journal of Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. 2007;25(1):593-99. Persian 16. De Carli G, Puro V, Ippolito G; Studio Italiano Rischio Occupazionale da HIV Group. Risk of hepatitis C virus transmission following percutaneous exposure in healthcare workers. Infection. 2003 Dec;31 Suppl 2:22-7. 17. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Community-Associated MRSA Information for Clinicians; 2005. [cited 2015 May 12] Available from: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca_clinicians.html. 18. Ammon A, Reichart PA, Pauli G, Petersen LR. Hepatitis B and C among Berlin dental personnel: incidence, risk factors, and effectiveness of barrier prevention measures. Epidemiol Infect. 2000 Oct; 125(2): 407–13. 19. Amiresmaili MR, Esfandiari A, Isfahani P. Awareness, attitude and performance of Nurses in affiliated hospitals of Zabol University of Medical sciences, Iran, about principles of universal precautions. Journal of Health and Development. 2013; 1(4):298-305. Persian 20. Simon LP. Prevention and management of needlestick injury in Delhi. Br J Nurs. 2009 Feb 26-Mar 11;18(4):252-6. 21. Sharifi M, Borhan Modjabi K, Salmani MR, Mostajeri A, Alipour Heidari M. Correlation between anti-HBs antibody level with education status and duration of practice among dentists in Qazvin city. Majallah-I-Dandanpizishki. 2008;19(4):43-9. Persian. 22. Alavian SM, Akbari H, Ahmadzad asl M, Kazem M, Davoodi A. Assessment of vaccination against hepatitis B and infection control compliance among dentists participated in 42nd international congress of Iranian dentists. Journal of Islamic Dental Association of Iran. 2005;17(2):48-56. Persian. 23. Simard EP, Miller JT, George PA, Wasley A, Alter MJ, Bell BP, Finelli L. Hepatitis B vaccination coverage levels among healthcare workers in the United States, 2002-2003. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2007 Jul;28(7):783-90. 24. Grant RM. Antiretroviral agents used by HIV-uninfected persons for prevention: pre- and postexposure prophylaxis. Clin Infect Dis. 2010 May 15; 50(Suppl 3): S96–S101. 24. Grant RM. Antiretroviral agents used by HIV-uninfected persons for prevention: pre- and postexposure prophylaxis. Clin Infect Dis. 2010 May 15; 50(Suppl 3): S96–S101.