Hepatitis B infection in dentistry setting needs more attention

The Prevalence and Underreporting of Needlestick Injuries among Dental Healthcare Workers in Pakistan: A Systematic Review

Needlestick injuries (NSIs) are a major occupational health problem among dental healthcare workers (HCWs) in Pakistan, which places them at a significant risk of acquiring blood-borne infections. However, not all NSIs are reported, leading to an underestimation of the actual prevalence. The harmful impacts of NSIs on the healthcare delivery necessitate an urgent need to measure its actual prevalence. Objectives. The aim of this study was to review literature to estimate the prevalence and reporting rates of NSIs among dental-HCWs in Pakistan. Methods. 713 potentially relevant citations were identified by electronic databases and hand searching of articles. Nine primary studies were subsequently identified to be included in the review. Results. The results of the included studies indicate that the prevalence of NSIs among Pakistani dental-HCWs was between 30% and 73%. The rate of reporting of NSIs was between 15% and 76%, and the most common reason was found to be the lack of awareness regarding the reporting system, or of the need to report NSIs. Conclusion. It is evident from the review of the included studies that there is a significantly high prevalence and a low rate of reporting of NSIs among dental-HCWs in Pakistan, suggesting the need to setup an occupational health department in dental settings, for preventing, managing, recording, and monitoring NSIs.

Psychometric Properties of a Standardized Questionnaire of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Iranian Medical Specialists about Viral Hepatitis

BACKGROUND

Good knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of the physicians allow them to handle their patients in such a way that they prevent themselves from contracting, and their patients from spreading, the infection. However, the Iranian standardized KAP questionnaire of physicians about viral hepatitis is not available. So, we developed a standard questionnaire.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to provide a standard questionnaire as a basic tool for assessment of the present situation of the KAP of clinicians. It can also be used for evaluating educational programs and interventions on physicians in addition to any trends in their KAP about viral hepatitis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In order to design and standardize a 29-item self-administered questionnaire, we developed a cross sectional pilot study on 60 Iranian physicians. Ten experts in the field of liver diseases and/or designing the questionnaire answered questions about its validity. Cronbach's Alpha (on 60 physicians that participated in a congress) and factor analysis (on 370 persons; participants of two viral hepatitis congresses in Tehran and Zanjan and physicians of two university hospitals in Ahvaz) were used in the analysis.

RESULTS

Reliability was 0.7 according to Cronbach's Alpha score. Face validity was higher than 80%. Content validity of the whole parts of the questionnaire was 96.25% for clarity, 91.56% for relevancy, 96.25% for simplicity and 98.44% for consistency of each question with the questions' set. Factor analysis showed that 13 components account for 67.4% of the total variance.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided evidence that our questionnaire is a feasible, valid and reliable measure of physicians' KAP status in Iran. The factor analysis did not reveal a strong cluster structure. This questionnaire should be interpreted as a one-dimensional element by the sum of all items, rather than a multi-dimensional instrument.