| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2015 | Volume
: 5
| Issue : 5 | Page : 406-412 |
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Knowledge, attitude, and practice of needle stick and sharps injuries among dental professionals of Bangalore, India
Varsha K Pavithran1, R Murali1, Madhusudan Krishna2, A Shamala1, Maanasi Yalamalli1, A Vinod Kumar1
1 Department of Public Health Dentistry, Krishnadevaraya College of Dental Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
2 Narsinhbhai Patel Dental College and Hospital, Visnagar, Gujarat, India
Correspondence Address:
Varsha K Pavithran
'KOMATH', 4th Cross, Ayappa Nagar, SM Road, Jalahalli West, Bangalore - 560 015, Karnataka
India
 Source of Support: Nil., Conflict of Interest: There are no conflict of interest.  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2231-0762.165932
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Background: A needle stick injury (NSI) is an accidental skin-penetrating stab wound from a hollow-bore needle containing another person's blood or body fluid. Healthcare workers (HCWs) including dental professionals are at an occupational risk of exposure to blood-borne pathogens following NSIs and sharps injuries (SIs). A thorough understanding of the safe practices while handling needles and sharps is crucial for HCWs to create a risk-free work place environment. Aims and Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitude, practice, and prevalence of NSIs and SIs among dental professionals in a dental college at Bangalore. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in September 2012 using a structured, pretested, guided interview-based questionnaire that was administered to 200 dental professionals in a dental college at Bangalore to assess the knowledge, attitude, practices, and self-report information of NSIs. Results: In the present study, 81.5% of dental professionals were vaccinated against hepatitis B. A total of 27.5% participants had an NSI during the previous 12 months. About 41.80% of NSIs occurred during device recapping. Most common reason for failure to report the incidents of NSIs, as declared by 29.09% of the participants, included the fear of being blamed or getting into trouble for having an NSI. Conclusion: The knowledge of dental professionals on NSIs and their preventive measures are inadequate; however, training on Universal Precaution Guidelines, protocols regarding post-exposure prophylaxis, and safety devices has to be provided to prevent such injuries in future among the dental professionals.
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