NEEDLE-STICK INJURY: A RISING BIO-HAZARD
Abstract
Background: Needle stick injury has been identified as the foremost health allied concern and thespecialty of dentistry is not an exception. Its incidence can be reduced when a dental practitioner iscompletely proverbial to the standard cross-infection control measures. This study was intended toassess the knowledge, attitude and practices among the dental practitioners regarding Needle StickInjuries and associated risk factors. Methods: This survey was carried out in the Oral SurgeryDepartment, Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Karachi. Dental practitioners ofdifferent job categories were conveniently approached by the BDS students. They all were providedwith a structured and validated, self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Chi-squaretest was applied with 5% level of significance. Results: All 100 (55 females and 45 males) practitionersagreed to participate in the study. Prevalence of Needle Stick Injury observed was 30% with nosignificant relationship with the demographic characteristics. Seventy-four percent of the participantswere aware of the universal guidelines. Majority (88%) of the dental personnel believed that recappingof needles should be performed soon after use and 53% knew about needle-less safety devices. Theseinjuries were experienced by 30% of the respondents, of which just 28% were reported. Conclusion:Dental practitioners were at high risk of getting Needle Stick Injuries in dental offices. Most of themhad knowledge about it but there was lack of practice of universal precautions.Keywords: Needle Stick Injury, Blood Borne Diseases, Dental Practitioners, precaution, infectionReferences
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