Incidence and factors associated with sharps injuries among clinical-track students at the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University School of Dentistry

Sharp injuries are a common occupational hazard in dental practice, due to the constant handling of sharp or pointed instruments capable of piercing the skin or mucous membranes and exposing staff to blood and other potentially infectious body fluids. The objective of this observational, cross-sectional, and retrospective study was to determine the frequency and factors associated with sharp injuries among students in the clinical rotation at the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University School of Dentistry during the period from May to August 2026. The study population consisted of 158 students, who were administered a previously validated questionnaire assessing the frequency of accidents, the number of incidents, the clinical areas and levels involved, the times of occurrence, the instruments involved, and the actions taken following the accident. The results showed that 93 students (58.9%) had suffered at least one sharp injury and that a significant proportion experienced recurrent injuries. The clinical areas with the highest incidence were the Operative dentistry and Oral Surgery, primarily during instrument cleaning and patient care. Anesthesia needles, probes, and files were the instruments most frequently involved. Although most students washed the affected area and applied antiseptics, reporting the accident and undergoing testing or prophylactic measures were rare. No statistically significant association was found between clinical level and the occurrence of accidents (p = 0.302). It is concluded that the high frequency of accidents and the low reporting rate highlight the need to strengthen prevention practices and post-exposure management during clinical training. The information obtained provides a basis for designing institutional strategies aimed at improving occupational safety for dental students.锐器伤是牙科临床工作中常见的职业性危害，这是由于临床操作中需频繁使用可刺破皮肤或黏膜、使医护人员暴露于血液及其他潜在感染性体液的尖锐器械所致。本项观察性横断面回顾性研究旨在明确2026年5月至8月期间，佩德罗·恩里克克斯·乌雷尼亚国立大学牙科学院临床轮转学生的锐器伤发生频率及其相关影响因素。本研究纳入158名学生，采用经预先验证的问卷开展调查，内容涵盖事故发生频次、事件数量、涉及的临床科室与层级、事故发生时间、所涉器械类型以及事故后的处置措施。结果显示，93名学生（占比58.9%）至少发生过1次锐器伤，且有相当比例的学生存在重复受伤情况。锐器伤发生率最高的临床科室为牙体修复科（Operative Dentistry）与口腔外科（Oral Surgery），此类事故多发生于器械清洗与患者诊疗过程中。麻醉针头、探针与根管锉是最常涉及的锐器类型。尽管多数学生在受伤后会冲洗患处并涂抹消毒剂，但上报事故、接受检测或采取预防措施的情况却极为少见。未发现临床层级与事故发生之间存在统计学意义上的关联（p=0.302）。研究结论表明，较高的事故发生率与偏低的事故上报率凸显了在临床培训阶段强化锐器伤预防操作与暴露后处置流程的必要性。本研究所得数据可为制定旨在提升牙科学生职业安全的院校级策略提供依据。