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KMID : 0355420110350020227
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Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
2011 Volume.35 No. 2 p.227 ~ p.232
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Exposure to blood and body fluids during clerkship of dental students
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Hwang Jeong-Hwan
Yu Mi-Kyung
Jeon Jae-Gyu
Lee Heung-Bum
Lee Chang-Seop
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Abstract
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Objective: Depending on the curriculum and characteristics of dentists, occupational exposure to blood and body fluids of dental students is a serious problem. However, data on the exposure of dental students is still limited. This study analyzed exposure rate to healthcare-associated accidents using questionnaires.
Methods: Questionnaires included student age and sex, healthcare-related environment, frequency of accidents, causes and situations. In total, 112 dental students completed the questionnaires after finishing their clinical clerkship in a single tertiary academic dental hospital from 2007 to 2009. Accidents were divided into two categories: invasive injury through the mucocutaneous barrier and noninvasive exposure to contaminated blood and secretions. Severity of injury was classified into minimal as “no bleed and little hemorrhagic spots” and massive as “gross bleed and need compression and dressing”.
Results: More than 90% (105 of 112, 93.7%) of dental students experienced healthcare-associated accidents during clerkship. Splash of body fluids such as saliva and blood and needle stick injuries by hollow needle were the main occupational exposures. Noninvasive blood and body fluid splash was 94.3% (99 of 105), invasive injury was 85.7% (90 of 105). Although most students experienced little bleeding (82 of 105, 78.1%), only 35.2% of students washed their wounds with soap and water after exposure. Furthermore, 94.3% of students having an occupational exposure did not report to infection control team because they were busy (49.5%), little or no perception of risk (21.9%) and did not know what to do (20.0%).
Conclusions: This study highlighted that dental students have nearly been given the opportunity to meet healthcare-associated accidents irrelevant to the severity of injury and types of work. Despite the precarious situations, most students ignored exposure hazards. Therefore, supervisors should remind students about the hazards of healthcare worker-related infections, general precautions and infection controls.
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KEYWORD
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blood, dental student, needlestick injuries
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