title: A survey on the disposal of blood-contaminated tampon after dental extraction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper was to assess the risk for cross infection caused by blood-contaminated tampon after dental extraction and whether this risk was reduced after relevant education towards both dentists and patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  From December 2014 to April 2015, a survey was conducted in dentists and patients randomly before and after relevant education. The questionnaire is being revised for this survey based on learning from Chatzoudi and Franklin' survey. This survey was approved by the institutional review board, and all participants were voluntary and all responses were anonymous.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 2.82 % of dentists provided patients with the postoperative-advices regarding how to dispose of blood-contaminated tampon at the first time and 47.10 % at the second time (P < 0.01). Only 1.41 % of dentists given special postoperative-advices regarding disposal of tampon to patients with blood-transmitted diseases at the first time and 24.64 % at the second time (P < 0.01). Before education, most patients were lack of nosocomial infection knowledge. After education, 22.4 % of patients threw the blood-contaminated tampon away in a proper way (P < 0.01). 66.67 % of them washed hands immediately and thoroughly after they touched the tampon (P < 0.05), 92.71 % knew the blood-contaminated tampon can cause cross-infection (P < 0.01), and 80.21 % knew how to dispose of the blood-contaminated tampon correctly (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high risk of cross infection caused by blood-contaminated tampon is evident, and a series of measures is proposed to control it. There is a need to improve both dentists' and patients' awareness, enhance the education of doctors and perfect the policies and guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Luqiao Branch of Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Taizhou, 318050 China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Luqiao Branch of Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Taizhou, 318050 China.
authors.forename: Yong-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Luqiao Branch of Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Taizhou, 318050 China.
authors.forename: Wen-Min
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Luqiao Branch of Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Taizhou, 318050 China.
authors.forename: Xu-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Luqiao Branch of Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Taizhou, 318050 China.
authors.forename: Wen-Jie
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Zhuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Luqiao Branch of Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Taizhou, 318050 China.
authors.forename: Wei-Jiang
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hospital Infection Control, Luqiao Branch of Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Taizhou, 318050 China.
authors.forename: Ling-Zhi
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: Blood-contaminated tampon; Cross infection; Dental extraction; Dentists; Patients