Knowledge, attitudes and practice survey on blood-borne diseases among dental health care workers in Georgia.

Marika Kochlamazashvili,Louise-Anne Mcnutt,Olga Chubinishvili,Jack Dehovitz,Maia Butsashvili,George Kamkamidze

doi:10.3855/jidc.9911

Abstract

In Georgia limited data exists about awareness of blood borne-diseases among dental health care workers (DHCW). To assess DHCW knowledge, attitudes and practices related to infection control practice guidelines designed to limit transmission of blood-borne diseases, a cross-sectional study was conducted. All respondents were asked to voluntarily complete a self-administered questionnaire. Doctors of Dental Medicine, nurses, and dental residents were recruited from 13 private and governmental dental units in three large Georgian cities: Tbilisi (the capital city), Batumi (Western Georgia) and Rustavi (Eastern Georgia). Of 244 DHCWs recruited, 196 (80%) agreed to participate. Nearly 42% DHCWs did not know the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Georgia. Knowledge about risk factors for transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), HCV and HBV was low; correct response proportions among all DHCWs were 45.3%, 37.9% and 34.2% for these pathogens, respectively. The 59.7% of DHCWs were uninformed about post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV. Only 37.3% reported being well informed on infection control guidelines. Nearly all (95.6%) DHCWs expressed interest in receiving additional education on occupational transmission of blood-borne pathogens. Overall, the study suggests DHCWs are aware they have insufficient knowledge of universal precautions. There is a need for developing a continuous education program that is accessible to practicing DHCWs.

Highlights

In Georgia limited data exists about awareness of blood borne-diseases among dental health care workers (DHCW)
Among the 244 DHCWs invited to participate in the study, 196 (80.3%) agreed to participate in the study
We found that most Georgian DHCWs report using additional precautions, such as wearing gloves/eyewear when dealing with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients

Summary

Introduction

In Georgia limited data exists about awareness of blood borne-diseases among dental health care workers (DHCW). There is a need for developing a continuous education program that is accessible to practicing DHCWs. Nosocomial transmission of blood-borne pathogens continues to be a major public health problem worldwide. In lowand middle-income countries, nosocomial transmission of viruses and bacteria is more common, largely due to reduced resources, limited education on infection control and fewer enforcement structures [3]. In many low- and middle-income countries dentists and dental staff appear to have moderate to low knowledge about blood-borne viruses, such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [6,7,8,9]. The risk of transmission in dental practices depends on the type of exposure and viral burden of the patient; estimated risks based primarily on needle stick injuries among health care workers in general may be reasonably extrapolated

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion