Factors related to the willingness of Palestinian dentists to treat patients with blood-borne diseases

Willingness of dentists in the United Arab Emirates to perform restorative and surgical treatments for patients infected with hepatitis C

BACKGROUND

Dentists' refusal to treat patients infected with hepatitis C (HCV) continues to raise ethical concerns, particularly in countries where HCV is prevalent. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess dentists' willingness to treat patients infected with HCV and the socio-demographic variables that influence their decision.

METHODS

An online questionnaire was disseminated to dentists practicing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and enquired about their willingness to perform two dental treatments: restorative and surgical, to patients infected with HCV, while hypothetically being equipped with optimal personal protective equipment. Binary logistic regression test was used to assess socio-demographic factors that predict dentists' unwillingness decision.

RESULTS

Two-hundred and forty-five dentists participated in this survey. Among those, 25.6 and 19.3% were unwilling to perform dental extractions and aerosol-generating restorative dental treatments for patients infected with HCV, respectively. Dentists' clinical experience was a significant predictor of their unwillingness decision, with those of shorter clinical experience expressing greater reluctance than their counterparts (OR:1.61; 95% CI: 1.02-2.54; p = 0.042).

CONCLUSION

Patients infected with HCV who need dental care could face rejection by early career dentists, particularly if that treatment is a surgical one. Fresh dental graduates should be made aware of their ethical and legal responsibilities towards patients with infectious diseases, particularly HCV.

HIV/AIDS-related beliefs among Israeli Arab-Palestinian women

Studies show that women are more vulnerable to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission than men because of biological and sociocultural risk factors. Israeli Arab-Palestinians are the largest ethnic minority group in Israel. Unofficial data suggest that merely one percent of the tests conducted in Israel to diagnose HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are conducted by this population and that Israeli Arab-Palestinians are typically diagnosed late. Arab communities in Israel were found to be predominately patriarchal, characterised by conservative gender roles and structures, and the policing of overt sexual behaviours, particularly those of women. In order to advance our understanding of the HIV/AIDS phenomenon in different sociocultural contexts, as well as to design effective cultural-sensitive interventions, we must first understand how HIV/AIDS is constructed in different cultural sites. Against this backdrop, this exploratory study examines HIV/AIDS-related beliefs among non-infected, Israeli Arab-Palestinian women. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 women. Thematic content analysis was used in order to analyse the data. Five themes emerged from the analysis, in the first, personal responsibility and blame were assigned to people with HIV/AIDS for their illness. In the second theme, HIV/AIDS was constructed as a sexually transmitted disease, associated with 'deviant' sexuality and sexual conduct in the Arab culture. In the third theme, HIV/AIDS was believed to be transmitted by multiple, mostly mistaken, modes of contact. In the fourth theme, people with HIV/AIDS were believed to be subjected to severe negative social responses. In the fifth theme, individuals with HIV/AIDS were depicted as a symbol of physical and psychological malaise. In conclusion, the findings imply that Israeli Arab-Palestinian women hold negative beliefs concerning people with HIV/AIDS and are misinformed regarding HIV transmission. This suggests a need to design culturally appropriate interventions to address stigma-related beliefs and misconceptions concerning transmission, among Israeli Arab-Palestinian women.

Infection Control Measures in Private Dental Clinics in Lebanon

Purpose

Evaluate infection control knowledge, attitude, and practice in Lebanese private dental clinics.

Materials and Methods

A survey including 46 questions related to routine safety procedures was sent to 1150 Lebanese dentists between July 1st and 2nd, 2015. The study sample was selected from the database of registered dentists based on a proportional random sampling ensuring equitable representation of the 5 geographic regions of Lebanon. A subset of 29 questions was used to generate an overall score of compliance (excellent, good, fair, and poor). Comparisons according to gender, type, region, and years of practice were performed.

Results

417 dentists returned the completed questionnaires. 96% expressed concern about infection transmission, 90.6% were vaccinated against Hepatitis B, and 61.8% asked routinely about patients medical history. Only 43% used protective eyewear. Although most dentists (65%) used autoclaves, dry heat was still used. Significant correlations were found between gender and use of personal protective equipment. Less compliance was shown by clinicians with fewer years of experience. In the overall compliance questionnaire, the mean percentage of correct answers was roughly 54% with <5% of the practitioners scoring “excellent.” Conclusions. The study found inadequacy of compliance in private Lebanese dental clinics necessitating improved educational training and sustained monitoring by regulatory bodies.