Resumo

VIEIRA, Cristina Dutra; SANTOS, José Ivany dos; CABRAL, Magaly Maria  e  SILVA, Jacson Félix da. Biological exposure-related injuries in dental health-care workers. RGO, Rev. gaúch. odontol. (Online) [online]. 2013, vol.61, n.4, pp. 581-586. ISSN 1981-8637.

Objective This study was conducted during a 13-year period to analyze the number and profile of biological exposure-related injuries among dental health-care workers in a Public Health Service in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Methods All occupational accidents involving dental staff, dentists, dental assistants, dental technicians (n=215), and those involved in processing environmental surfaces and waste collection (n=12), and body fluids associated with sharp instruments were recorded. Our data were collected from January 1999 to May 2011. Results A total of 41 exposures were reported. The majority of biological exposures occurred in females aged 26 to 35 years. The most frequently involved devices were syringe needles and the most frequently involved body fluid was blood. Despite the existence of an institutional guideline, it was observed that 12.2% of health-care workers did not follow the post-exposure recommendations. Additionally, 14.6% of the dental care workers did not receive hepatitis B vaccination. Conclusion Our results suggest that it is important to provide more safety training programs and information about occupational risks to all dental healthcare personnel.

Palavras-chave : Accidents occupational.; Accident prevention.; Occupational risks..