Exposure Injuries in an Academic Institution: Frequency and factors influencing post exposure management

<ns3:p>Aim Exposure injuries pose significant health risks to health care providers. Dentists are considered to be at high risk of occupational exposure, especially needlestick injuries. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of exposure-injuries (EI) and the factors influencing post exposure management in an academic setting in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods This retrospective study extracted information related to exposure injuries reported by dental care providers and staff working in an academic institution between 2016 and 2022. The chi-square test was used to measure the association between the study variables, and the statistical significance (p value) was set at &lt; 0.05. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Software Version 23). Results A total of 100 EI were reported over a period of six years. These injuries mainly occurred during afternoon sessions (55%), were significantly more common in females (62.2%, p=0.013) and students (55.6%, p=0.002), and were mainly caused by needle pricks (71.9%, p= 0.016). Immediate post exposure management and serological tests were performed by 85% and 86.6%, respectively, and were implemented significantly more frequently if the incidence occurred in the morning clinical session (p=0.035). Post exposure management was reported by females more than males (p=0.0130). Conclusion Frequency of exposure injuries was high and more common among females and students. Post exposure management was influenced by factors such as sex, cause of injury, and time of occurrence. There is an urgent need for continuous training in the handling of sharps and the implementation of engineering controls.</ns3:p>