[Needlestick injuries among medical students at the University of Copenhagen. A questionnaire study in 2001]

The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency of percutaneous and mucocutaneous injuries sustained by fourth and fifth year medical students at the University of Copenhagen.

A questionnaire including questions on experience with invasive procedures, number and types of exposures, and post-exposure actions was mailed to 576 medical students. Enclosed was a prepaid return envelope, and a definition of percutaneous and mucocutaneous injuries was given in the introduction letter.

A total of 406 out of 568 (72%) responded. Out of them 90 (22%) had sustained percutaneous injuries, and 18 of these (20%) had experienced more than one percutaneous injury. A number of 89 of 406 (22%) had sustained mucocutaneous injury and of these 18 had experienced more than one mucocutaneous injury. Reporting of the accident was done by 59% of the 90 with percutaneous injury and 33% of the 89 with mucocutaneuos injury. 34% of the 82 that had reported the injury had not received an offer for testing and/or vaccination against HIV, hepatitis C and B.

Efforts need to be made to ensure greater awareness amongst Danish medical students about the risk of mucocutaneous and percutaneous injuries. It should be evaluated whether vaccination against hepatitis B should be offered to students before entering the clinical part of the study. Proper training in percutaneous procedures and how to act in case of injury should be made to reduce the number of injuries.