Sharps Accidents: Occurrence and Knowledge Level among Brazilian Dental Students

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of sharps accidents among dental students in southwest Goiás state, Brazil, and further survey their knowledge of biosafety and post-injury management. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical observational study was carried out in 2018 following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. The study population included dental students in the 4 th and 10 th course semester. A pre-formulated self-administered questionnaire containing 14 objective questions was used for data collection. Mean and standard deviation values were calculated. Results: A total of 308 responses were obtained. Overall, 15.9% of the respondents reported having previously experienced accidents with sharps. Most dental students who claimed to know the biological risks to which they are exposed were in the 5 th and 8 th course semesters, and 67.2% of them reported knowing how to proceed in the event of a sharp accident. Conclusion: A low prevalence of sharps accidents has been reported, and dental students are considered to have a good knowledge of biosafety.