Background The present study aims to assess the knowledge and attitude about needle stick injuries and sharps disposal. Methods A self designed questionnaire of 15 questions was handed out to 200 participants including undergraduate students (group 1), postgraduate students (group 2), faculty members (group 3) and auxiliary staff members (group 4). The data was collected and analyzed using Chi square test. Results Sixty-one percent of total participants reported of experiencing needle stick injury and 25.5 % knew that there could be several causes for this. Only 22 % of total population studied got the source tested. Immunization status of group 4 was very low and they also lacked the knowledge of sharps disposal and hepatitis C being spread by needle stick injuries. 57 % participants confirmed that there was no reporting facility and 66 % were not familiar with the guidelines of reporting.Conclusions There is a definite scope of improvement in terms of reporting and prevention of needle stick injuries. There is a need to improve knowledge and awareness of dental health care workers about the post exposure protocol.
Background: The trend in all countries is industrialization; it leads to many occupational health problems and diseases among transport workers. The workers may be exposed to hazardous environment which affect the general as well as oral health because of the relative lesser importance given to it. The use of products related to tobacco and poor oral hygiene practices adds to the oral disease burden among this population.Methods: The study population consisted of 404 people, and oral health was examined using the World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Assessment form from 1997. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 was used to analyze the data. The Chi-square test, t-test, and Analysis of Variance were used to compare study population proportions and mean scores (ANOVA). Results: The number of sextants influenced by CPI and LOA was found to be considerably larger (p=0.005) among guys who had completed high school education. Buccal mucosa showed ulcerations and leukoplakia from oral mucosal ulcers. Males aged 46-60 years old had significantly higher mean DMFT scores (3.31±4.44; 2.11±3.33 respectively) than females aged 46-60 years old (p=0.005). Overall, male workers aged 30-45 years old with a high school degree were shown to have a higher risk of acquiring oral health problems and requiring treatment.Conclusions: According to the findings, TSRTC personnel aged 30-45, males with a primary school education, had poor oral mucosal health and periodontal status. Workers with a high school education have a higher prevalence of dental caries and unmet dental care needs. As a result, there is an urgent need to focus on these high-risk groups.
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