scholarly journals Frequency of hepatitis B immunity and occupational exposures to body fluids among brazilian medical students at a public university

2010 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 247-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz Carlos Marques de Oliveira ◽  
João Paulo Jordão Pontes

In the present study the frequencies of immunity against hepatitis B (HB) and of potentially contaminating accidents among medical students of a Brazilian public university were evaluated. Of all the 400 students who should have been immunized, 303 (75.7%), 66.3% of whom were women, answered an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. Serum anti-HBs were determined in 205 of them and titers > 10 UI/L were considered to be protective. A total of 86.8% of students had received three doses of HB vaccine. The frequency of immunity among women (96.4%) was higher (p = 0.04) than that among men (87.7%). Among those who did not have immunity, 12/13 (92.3%) had been vaccinated before entering medical school. Only 11% of the students with complete vaccination had previously verified serological response to the vaccine. A total of 23.6% reported having been somehow exposed to blood or secretions. Among final-year students, this frequency was 45.0%, being similar among men (47.8%) and women (43.2%). Of all these accidents, 57.7% were due to body fluids coming in contact with mucosa and 42.3% due to cut and puncture accidents. The results from this study show that: 1) the frequency of immunity against HB is high among the evaluated medical students, although verification of response to vaccination is not a concern for them; 2) anti-HBs titers should be verified after complete vaccination and on a regular basis, especially by men; and 3) the frequency of potentially contaminating accidents is high.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mubashir Aslam ◽  
Tahir Taj ◽  
Arif Ali ◽  
Nasira Badar ◽  
Farzan Saeed ◽  
...  

The objectives of this study were to determine the characteristics of medical students and graduates interested in choosing psychiatry as a career and the obstacles in choosing this field of medicine. Two private and two public medical institutes were surveyed from June 2007 to August 2007. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to third, fourth and final year students and to medical graduates doing their internship in these four medical institutes.A total of 909 medical students and graduates participated in the study. Seventeen percent of participants responded positively regarding their interest in psychiatry as a career. Significantly higher proportion belonged to private medical institutes (14% vs. 24%, P-value =0.001). There was no significant difference in reporting interest for psychiatry in regard to age, sex, year in medical school and whether or not the participant had done a psychiatry ward rotation. However significantly higher proportion of participants (22%, n=43) were reporting their interest in the field of psychiatry who had done more than a month long psychiatry ward rotation as compared to those participants (14%, n=54) with less than a month or no psychiatry rotation (P-value=0.01). More students were reporting their interest in psychiatry with a family history of psychiatric illness as compared to without family history (24% vs 16%, P-value=0.03). In conclusion, students and graduates with more than a month long rotation in psychiatry, studying in private medical colleges and with a family history of psychiatric illness were more interested in choosing psychiatry as a career.


2013 ◽  
Vol 141 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 789-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Markovic-Denic ◽  
Milos Brankovic ◽  
Natasa Maksimovic ◽  
Bojan Jovanovic ◽  
Ivana Petrovic ◽  
...  

Introduction. Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids is a serious concern of health care workers and presents a major risk of transmission of infections such as human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and circumstances of occupational blood and body fluid exposures among health care workers. Methods. Cross-sectional study was conducted in three university hospitals in Belgrade. Anonymous questionnaire was used containing data about demographic characteristics, self-reported blood and body fluid exposures and circumstances of percutaneous injuries. Results. Questionnaire was filled in and returned by 216 health care workers (78.2% of nurses and 21.8% of doctors). 60.6% of participants-health care workers had sustained at least one needlestick injury during their professional practice; 25.9% of them in the last 12 months. Of occupational groups, nurses had higher risk to experience needlestick injuries than doctors (p=0.05). The majority of the exposures occurred in the operating theatre (p=0.001). Among factors contributing to the occurrence of needlestick injuries, recapping needles (p=0.003) and decontamination/cleaning instruments after surgery (p=0.001) were more frequent among nurses, while use of a needle before intervention was common among doctors (p=0.004). Only 41.2% of health care workers had reported their injuries to a supervisor in order to obtain medical attention. 50.2% of health care workers were vaccinated with three doses of hepatitis B vaccine. Conclusion. There is a high rate of needlestick injuries in the daily hospital routine. Implementation of safety devices would lead to improvement in health and safety of medical staff.


2012 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Markovic-Denic ◽  
Irena Ostric ◽  
Andrija Pavlovic ◽  
Dimitra Kalimanovska-Ostric

Introduction: Health workers and medical students are at occupational risk of blood-borne diseases during the accidents, that is, via percutaneous injury or entry of blood or body fluids through the mucosa or injured skin. Objective: to review and analyze the knowledge, attitudes and perception of risks of blood-borne diseases of the clinical course students and health workers as well as the frequency of accidents. Material and methods: Cross-sectional study was carried out among the students of the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, and health workers of the Clinical Center of Serbia. The subjects responded anonymously to questionnaire specially designed for the study. Results: Both students and health workers were aware, in a high percentage, of the fact that the risk of hepatitis B spread was about 30%. Significantly more students gave affirmative reply that blood as biological material was a potential hazard of HIV infection spread (p=0.001), and significantly more students knew that HIV would not be spread by sweat (p=0.001). Hepatitis B vaccination was administered only to 24.1% of students and 71.4% of health workers. About 10% of students and 65.5% of health workers experienced some accident. There was no significant difference of accidents between nurses/technicians and physicians (p>0.05), as well as of accidents and a total length of service (p>0.05). The majority of accidents occurred during the use of needle/sharp object (in 27.3% of students and 33.1% of health workers). About 40% of students and slightly over a half of the workers reported the accidents to appropriate authorities. Additional education in this field is considered necessary by 73% of students. Conclusion: During the studies and via continuous medical education it is necessary to upgrade the level of knowledge on prevention of accidents, what would, at least partially, influence their reduction.


Author(s):  
Rajiv Kumar Gupta ◽  
Parveen Singh ◽  
Bhavna Langer ◽  
Rashmi Kumari ◽  
Najma Akhter ◽  
...  

Background: Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are among the major public health problems in the world and students in the medical schools as a group is highly vulnerable to these infections. The current study aimed to assess the perspectives (knowledge, attitude and practices) of these students about both Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in a medical school in northwest India using a self administered questionnaire. This study was carried out in the month of July 2017 using a convenience sample of Pre-final MBBS students.Results: The knowledge of the respondents was found to be good on most of the parameters except for living with Hepatitis B/C patient being a risk factor for disease and Hepatitis B being curable. On the same pattern, attitudes were also found to be positive on most of the parameters except willingness to undergo screening for the diseases. Practices of the respondents were also adequate except for use of gloves while examining a patient/collecting blood sample. An important positive practice observed was that 92.8% of the respondents were protected against Hepatitis B.Conclusions: The study has concluded that perspective of medical students towards Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are reasonably good and areas of concern need to be taken care of. Both these diseases remain a challenge for health community in general and medical students in particular due to their being an occupational hazard, so the need for infection control training before they start clinical education is strongly recommended.


2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Ribeiro Fagundes de Souza-Borges ◽  
Larissa Araújo Ribeiro ◽  
Luiz Carlos Marques de Oliveira

A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the frequencies and characteristics of occupational exposures among medical and nursing students at a Brazilian public university, in addition to their prevention and post-exposure behavior. During the second semester of 2010, a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was completed by 253/320 (79.1%) medical students of the clinical course and 149/200 (74.5%) nursing students who were already performing practical activities. Among medical students, 53 (20.9%) suffered 73 injuries, which mainly occurred while performing extra-curricular activities (32.9%), with cutting and piercing objects (56.2%), in the emergency room (39.7%), and as a result of lack of technical preparation or distraction (54.8%). Among nursing students, 27 (18.1%) suffered 37 injuries, which mainly occurred with hollow needles (67.6%) in the operating room or wards (72.2%), and as a result of lack of technical preparation or distraction (62.1%). Among medical and nursing students, respectively, 96.4% and 48% were dissatisfied with the instructions on previously received exposure prevention; 48% and 18% did not always use personal protective equipment; 67.6% and 16.8% recapped used needles; 49.3% and 35.1% did not bother to find out the source patient's serological results post-exposure; and 1.4% and 18.9% officially reported injuries. In conclusion, this study found high frequencies of exposures among the assessed students, inadequate practices in prevention and post-exposure, and, consequently, the need for training in “standard precautions” to prevent such exposures.


1970 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 943-952
Author(s):  
Afadhali D. Russa ◽  
Nuru. L. Mligiliche ◽  
Rehema C. Malya

Tanzania has one of the world’s worst doctor-to-population ratio. Ironically, the number of medical graduates who do not practice medicine remains very high. Lack of interest and commitment of the young doctors may greatly contribute to the huge number of non-practicing doctors. We assessed medical students’ career views from interest and choice during childhood, their current learning motivations, future career expectations and interest to work in the academia. One hundred and ninetyfive students halfway their first year of medical school complete a self-administered questionnaire with a verbal consent sought from each respondent. Four in every ten students had made their decision to become a doctor before or during primary school. Over 5 out of 10 students made their choice during secondary school. Majority chose medicine due to altruistic and humanity reasons and would prefer work in clinical practice in the hospital. Very few would prefer a faculty job. Knowing about the human body, controlling and managing diseases are the main motivating factors. ‘Too much to learn’ and ‘tight schedules’ were the most aspect and deterrent factors during the medical school and the medical profession in general. Attaining a higher academic honour such as a professorship would not inspire students into the academia. Majority of students make their medical career choice early in life driven by altruistic reasons. Poor learning environments disenchant them from the passion for the career. More studies are needed to assess and improve the training in medicine.Keywords: Medical students, motivation, career prospects, Tanzania


Author(s):  
María Elena Cárdenas-Perea ◽  
Eduardo Gómez-Conde ◽  
Gerardo Santos-López ◽  
Irma Pérez-Contreras ◽  
María Alicia Díaz-Orea ◽  
...  

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