Accidental exposures to blood and body fluids among health care workers in dental teaching clinics: a prospective study.
The authors evaluated accidental exposures to blood and body fluids reported to a hotline or to health officials at four dental teaching clinics. The authors used a standard questionnaire to solicit and record data regarding each exposure. During a 63-month period, 428 parenteral exposures to blood or body fluids were documented. Dental students and dental assistants had the highest rates of exposure. Syringe needle injuries were the most common type of exposure, while giving injections, cleaning instruments after procedures and drilling were the activities most frequently associated with exposures.
Ramos-Gomez
F
F
Department of Growth and Development, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0438, USA.
Ellison
J
J
Greenspan
D
D
Bird
W
W
Lowe
S
S
Gerberding
J L
JL
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000821:virology*; D003726:Dental Assistants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003740:Dental Clinics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003797:Dental Staff / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004203:Disinfection; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000635:transmission; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000635:transmission; D015277:Hotlines; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007267:Injections / Q000295:instrumentation; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D012575:Schools, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013594:Syringes