Awareness and Prevalence of Accidental Blood-borne Exposures Among Students of Sri Sai College of Dental Surgery Vikarabad

Abstract

Background: Studies have demonstrated that dental stu-dents / dentists are among the most vulnerable to bloodborne exposures.Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the awareness and prevalence of accidental blood-borne exposures among undergraduate and postgraduate dental students. Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 281 students at Sri Sai College of Dental Surgery-Vikarabad, in which a structured pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was given to all clinical dental students and the responses were subjected to statistical analysis. Results:The response rate in present study was 87%. The mean age of the subjects was 22.9 years and awareness on blood borne exposures was found to be 88.9%. 76% of the students reported having undergone accidental exposures with 24% of them being Per-cutaneous injuries. In 49% of respondents syringe needle was the most common instrument causing accidental injury.Conclusion: Accidental exposures and non-reporting of accidental exposures were prevalent in these students.