Needlestick and Sharp Instruments Injuries among Brazilian Dentistry Students

An exploration of sharps injuries within healthcare students at a UK university

Background

There is evidence available worldwide that nursing, medical and dental students sustain sharps injuries during their programmes of study. However, there is lack of evidence and research relating to the many students of other healthcare professions who may encounter sharps instruments.

Aim/objective

The aim of the study was to identify the extent, type and impact of sharps injuries sustained by pre-registration healthcare students.

Methods

An online survey was administered to 3372 healthcare students at a University in the United Kingdom.

Findings/results

Some healthcare students other than nursing, medical and dentistry had sustained a sharps injury. The most common device involved were glass ampoules. The common causes were equipment and carelessness. Some healthcare students sustained psychological impacts following the sharps injury.

Discussion

Sharps injuries are common amongst some healthcare students and there is scope for more education for these groups of students relating to the risks, safe handling, reporting and prevention of sharps injuries.

Sharps injuries within the healthcare student population: a narrative review

BACKGROUND

Studies have reported evidence on sharps injuries among nursing, medical and dental students but little is known about the amount, type and causes of sharps injuries affecting other healthcare students.

AIM

The aim of the narrative review was to identify the extent, type and causes of sharps injuries sustained by healthcare students, especially those not in those fields.

METHOD

Eight databases were searched using keywords to identify studies published between 1980 and March 2023.

FINDINGS

This narrative review highlights that some groups of healthcare students, including those studying pharmacy, physiotherapy and radiography, sustain sharps injuries from similar devices as reported in research on such injuries in nursing, medical and nursing students. Sharps injuries happen in a range of healthcare environments, and many were not reported by students. The main cause of a sharps injury identified was a lack of knowledge.

CONCLUSION

More research is needed on the extent of sharps injuries in healthcare students in European countries and the UK as well as on their physical and psychological effects. Education and training in sharps use and disposal are essential.

A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Survey on Blood-Borne Infection Control among Romanian Dental Students

Background and Objectives: According to the CDC estimates, 5.6 million healthcare workers worldwide are exposed to the risk of occupationally contracting blood-borne pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and others. The aim of the present study was to assess the knowledge level on blood-borne infection control (IC) among Romanian undergraduate dental students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey with 21 items was conducted from May 2022 to June 2022. The study had α = 0.620 and Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.660. The Chi-square test was used for data comparison. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA), and p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study sample included 207 subjects with a mean age of 21.38 (±1.9) years, 59.9% F (female), 40.1% M (male), 38.2% students from year II and 61.8% from year III. Most of the subjects did not have knowledge on the indirect mode of IC, the persistence of HBV, HCV, or HIV, or the existence of rapid tests (p < 0.05). PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) was known as follows: HBV, 32.36% (67); HCV, 25.60% (53); and HIV, 36.71% (76); p < 0.05. Only 50.24% (104) had knowledge on the recommended testing moments (p = 0.019 by gender, p = 0.752 by year of study). The optimal time to access PEP was considered by 28.01% (58), p ˃ 0.05. Only 37.68% (78) strongly agreed that the one-hand covering technique of the needle was efficient in IC (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The evaluation of the knowledge regarding IC highlighted major gaps in the perception of the subjects, which underlined the need to implement sustained forms of continuing medical education on this topic.

Knowledge and awareness regarding occupational needle stick and sharp injuries among dental personnel in Malaysia

BACKGROUND

Accidental occupational injuries increase the risk of communicable diseases like hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among dental personnel. Such occupational injuries affect healthcare quality by enhancing dissatisfaction and lack of motivation to work among dental personnel.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aims to assess knowledge and awareness regarding needle stick and sharp injury among dental personnel and compared the knowledge and awareness level about needle stick injuries between dental professionals and dental supporting staff working at the School of Dental Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2016 to March 2017. The total sample included 112 registered dental personnel including dental professionals (lecturers, dental officers, and postgraduate students) and dental supportive staff (including staff nurses and dental surgery assistant) who were selected from the School of Dental Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia at Kelantan District of Malaysia. Data were collected by a structured questionnaire.

RESULTS

In our study 60.7% respondents answered correctly for all the statements regarding knowledge and 51.8% of the respondents answered correctly for the statements regarding awareness on needle stick and sharp injury. No significant difference of knowledge level has been observed between the dental professionals and dental supportive staff (p < 0.819), whereas the awareness level was significantly different between these two groups (p < 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a difference regarding awareness level on needle stick and sharp injury between dental professionals and dental supportive staff in our study but no differences were found in knowledge level between two groups.

Analysis of factors related to needle-stick and sharps injuries at a dental specialty university hospital and possible prevention methods

Needle-stick and sharps injuries (NSIs) can happen even when dental health care workers (DHCWs) act in compliance with standard precautions to prevent transmitting blood-borne infections. The objective of this study was to investigate causes of NSIs that had occurred at a dental specialty university hospital during the past 12 academic years. A total of 215 NSIs were reported during the investigation period, and NSIs ascribed to female DHCWs (n = 148; 68.8%) were significantly (P < 0.05) more common than those ascribed to male DHCWs (n = 67; 31.2%). One hundred twenty-six NSIs (58.6%) were caused by DHCWs with little experience (P < 0.05), and 37 of those (17.2% of the total) were ascribed to undergraduate students during clinical training (P < 0.05). The NSIs occurred both during treatment (n = 119; 55.3%) and during cleaning up used devices (n = 89; 41.4%). The NSIs at the dental hospital occurred with a probability of 0.004% of total therapeutic opportunities. Prevention of NSIs should be the responsibility of dental students and DHCWs, and should be a part of education about infection control to prevent the nosocomial transmission of blood-borne pathogens.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Infection Control Measures in Stomatology Students in Lima, Peru

Introduction

The level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices with respect to infection control measures in undergraduate stomatology students is not well understood; that is why these variables were evaluated in the students of the Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista between September and November of 2017.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out. A total of 347 students from the Ica, Lima Norte, and Chorrillos campuses were evaluated. The sample was calculated using the statistical formula of comparison of means. The questionnaire of the CDC (Center of Contagious Diseases) was used to measure the variables described.

Results

It was observed that 72.05% of the students preferred to use oral rinsing before starting a treatment, 72.62% used the autoclave as the primary equipment to sterilize their instruments in the dental clinic, 95.10% considered that isolation is important in the control of the infection, 46.40% affirmed that tuberculosis is the most infectious disease, and only 26.51% considered it to be hepatitis B. On the other hand, it was found that the scores of knowledge, attitudes, and practices were 2.74 ± 2.16, 3.59 ± 0.88, and 3.59 ± 1.73, respectively.

Conclusions

The level of knowledge was low among the students evaluated; however, as far as the level of practices and attitudes was high, even so, this topic must be reinforced so that stomatology students reflect on the importance of the risks that exist to get infected with any disease inside the dental office, as outside of it.

Vaccination Status and Other Preventive Measures in Medical Schools. Big Needs and Opportunities

BACKGROUND

Proper immunization and knowledge in infection prevention are key factors in protecting medical students.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To describe the status on vaccination recommended for healthcare workers (HCW) and infection prevention knowledge.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study on medical students at clinical years of medical school from a public University in Mexico.

RESULTS

A total of 1,824 medical students responded the survey. One thousand ninety (59.8%) were women. Median age was 22 years. One thousand six hundred twenty-two (88.9%) knew their childhood immunization status. One thousand seventy-one (58.7%) were vaccinated against influenza for the 2016-2017 season; 1667 (91.4%) had been vaccinated at least once against hepatitis B, only 315 (18.9%) of vaccinated had received a full course with 3 doses. Most students were vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella during childhood, 542 (29.7%) received an additional dosage during or after adolescence. Six hundred ninety-seven (38.2%) were concerned about vaccine's safety. A total of 1,431 (78.5%) properly identified situations were standard precautions are recommended, and 1540 (84.4%) had received some training on safe care delivery and personal protective equipment. Regarding needle-stick injuries, 1165 (63.9%) had been informed on the protocols to follow if an injury occurred. Three hundred forty-nine (19.1%) had suffered needle-stick injuries, only 125 (35.8%) received immediate medical attention at the point of care.

CONCLUSIONS

Most medical students were not vaccinated as recommended, and they were not adequately instructed on safe practices for medical attention, nor advised or followed when a health-care related accident occurs. The results may be useful for implementation strategies on vaccination compliance and training on infection prevention.