Evaluation of the Knowledge and Attitudes of Dental Students toward Occupational Blood Exposure Accidents at the End of the Dental Training Program

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding occupational blood exposure accidents (OBEA) among dental students at the end of the whole dental education program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The survey was performed using a student self-administered questionnaire during July 2015 in the dental teaching hospital in Rabat. It was conducted on 117 dental students registered in the 5(th) year. The results were analyzed by SPSS Software, Version 13.0. Univariate analysis was performed by descriptive statistics, and bivariate analysis was used to identify correlations between different variables. RESULTS: Eighty-three students answered the questionnaire (participation rate: 70%). Most participants had incomplete knowledge about the management and the risks of OBEA. Thirty-five participants (42%) experienced at least one occupational exposure to patients' blood. Needle recapping has been the main cause of such injuries (41%). Most accidents occurred, respectively, in the oral surgery (51%) and the restorative dentistry (17%) departments. According to many participants, they had received insufficient education concerning this topic. CONCLUSIONS: More effective education on prevention and management of OBEA is highly recommended to reduce the prevalence of such injuries. Dental schools should set up a local management unit for following and supporting the exposed students.