Incidence of the exposure to blood and blood products and its relationship with the medical education accreditation among last grade medical students in Turkey

Year 2023, Volume: 21 Issue: 2, 247 - 260, 23.08.2023

Mücahid Alp Arslan , Erol Gürpınar , Levent Donmez

https://doi.org/10.20518/tjph.1232413

Abstract

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the blood contact and needle-stick injury rates
of final-year (year-6) medical students receiving their education and training at medical schools in different regions of Turkey and to analyse the relationships between blood contact and needle-stick injury and the personal variables of students and accreditation certifications of medical schools.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, self-reporting questionnaires were completed anonymously by consenting final-year medical students. The study population (n=7900) included all final-year medical students attending the 76 medical schools of Turkey. Of the 76 medical schools, 13 were selected by tratified random sampling, according to their accreditation certification and geographical location, which resulted in 2786 final-year medical students being contacted for participation. Comparisons between groups were analysed using Cox proportional hazards regression.

Results: Blood contact to intact skin was 75.2%, mucosal contact was 20.0%, percutaneous contact was
35.4%, and contaminated blood contact was 27.0% of medical students.The average percutaneous time-tocontact was 8.95±0.09 months, with the percutaneous contact rate approaching 50% in the 12th month of the hazard analysis. Percutaneous contact was significantly higher in students who received no formal occupational health and safety training (HR:1.29;95%CI:1.11-1.50) and who attended non-accredited medical schools (HR:1.45;95%CI:1.26-1.66). Percutaneous contact increased significantly in medical students with increasing invasive medical procedure applying scores (HR:1.06;95%CI:1.04-1.09).

Conclusion: The final year of medical education and training is a high-risk period for percutaneous contact, with the evidence suggesting that the high risks could be mediated by implementing appropriate occupational health and safety education and training.

Keywords

blood contact, needle-stick injury, medical students, accreditation, occupational health and safety

Supporting Institution

The Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Akdeniz University

Project Number

TTU-2016-1941

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