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Needlestick and Sharp Instruments Injuries among Brazilian Dentistry Students.
Liege Helena Freitas Fernandes1, Wanúbia Barbosa Nunes1, Larissa Costa Silva1
1Department of Dentistry, State University of Paraiba, Paraiba, Brazil.
Contemporary Clinical Dentistry
|June 2, 2017
Summary
Needlestick and sharp instrument injuries are frequent among dentistry students, primarily affecting females. Most incidents occur in the afternoon within clinical settings, with prompt care sought within recommended timeframes.
Area of Science:
- Dental Education
- Occupational Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Occupational accidents are prevalent among dental students and practitioners.
- Needlestick and sharp instrument injuries pose a significant risk in dental education settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and characteristics of injuries from needlestick and sharp instruments among dental students.
- To analyze victim demographics and accident circumstances to inform prevention strategies.
Main Methods:
- Documentary research analyzing 137 medical records of injuries from 2012-2016.
- Data collected on victim (gender, age) and accident (time, setting, care-seeking) characteristics.
- Statistical analysis using SPSS software with descriptive statistics.
Main Results:
- High accident rate (43.1%) observed among dentistry students.
- Female students (66.1%) and those up to 23 years old (55.9%) were predominantly affected.
- Incidents frequently occurred in the afternoon (54.4%) and clinical settings (70.7%), with 75% seeking care within 2 hours.
Conclusions:
- Needlestick and sharp instrument injuries are common in dental students, particularly females.
- Accidents are more frequent in the afternoon and clinical environments.
- Timely seeking of care post-exposure aligns with Brazilian legislative recommendations.
