Knowledge on occupational exposures and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) of blood-borne infections among dental surgeons in four hospitals in Colombo; a cross sectional study

Introduction: Dental surgeons are at higher risk of getting exposed to blood-borne pathogens like Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Therefore, dental surgeons should have updated knowledge on Occupational Exposures (OE) and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) for blood-borne infections.
Objective: To assess the level of knowledge on Occupational Exposures (OE) and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) for blood-borne viral infections among government dental surgeons, in four hospital units in the Colombo district.
Method: Cross sectional descriptive study was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire among all dental surgeons (143) in dental units of four teaching hospitals in the Colombo district. namely; National Dental (Teaching) Hospital, Colombo, Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila, and Institute of Oral Health, Maharagama, in 2019. 
Results: Almost three fourth (74.3%) of dental surgeons had experienced OEs. Needle pricks identified as the common occupational injury. About 55% dental surgeons knew about the immediate measures required to be taken after an OE but, only 7% had gone through the PEP counseling process. Majority of dental surgeons 87.1% had been vaccinated for HBV. However, only 66% knew about their antibody titres. The majority of dental surgeons had better knowledge on PEP for HIV than PEP for HBV and HCV.  Conclusions:  Occupational exposures commonly occur among dental surgeons. More PEP training & awareness programs are required for dental surgeons to improve their safety.