title: Awareness About Needle Stick Injures and Sharps Disposal: A Study Conducted at Army College of Dental Sciences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study aims to assess the knowledge and attitude about needle stick injuries and sharps disposal.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self designed questionnaire of 15 questions was handed out to 200 participants including undergraduate students (group 1), postgraduate students (group 2), faculty members (group 3) and auxiliary staff members (group 4). The data was collected and analyzed using Chi square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-one percent of total participants reported of experiencing needle stick injury and 25.5 % knew that there could be several causes for this. Only 22 % of total population studied got the source tested. Immunization status of group 4 was very low and they also lacked the knowledge of sharps disposal and hepatitis C being spread by needle stick injuries. 57 % participants confirmed that there was no reporting facility and 66 % were not familiar with the guidelines of reporting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a definite scope of improvement in terms of reporting and prevention of needle stick injuries. There is a need to improve knowledge and awareness of dental health care workers about the post exposure protocol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Army College of Dental Sciences, Jai Jawahar Nagar, Secunderabad, 500087 Andhra Pradesh India ; House No 20, Radha Regal Rows, Opp Ramakrishna Talent High School, Near Kalyan Gardens, Secunderabad, 500087 Andhra Pradesh India.
authors.forename: Sukhvinder
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bindra
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Army College of Dental Sciences, Jai Jawahar Nagar, Secunderabad, 500087 Andhra Pradesh India.
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Ramana Reddy
authors.affiliation: Army College of Dental Sciences, Jai Jawahar Nagar, Secunderabad, 500087 Andhra Pradesh India.
authors.forename: Anubhav
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chakrabarty
authors.affiliation: Govt Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Kirti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chaudhary
keywords: Auxiliary staff; Needle stick injuries (NSIs); Post exposure protocol